The City of Besançon was a self-governing city surrounded by Franche-Comté. After losing its status as a free imperial city within the Holy Roman Empire in 1654 the City of Besançon refused to recognise the sovereignty of a new protector, whether the king of France or Spain, until Louis XIV dissolved the municipal government in 1676. The government comprised only a tiny area around the City of Besançon in the Franche-Comté, which meant that it had limited independence although it had considerable internal autonomy and still tried to claim neutrality.