Donat de Besançon was a Frankish aristocrat who served as the bishop of Besançon during the 7th century. Born into a noble family, he was baptized by the monk Columbanus and trained at the monastery of Luxeuil. As a religious leader, he established the Palatium monastery, which was constructed upon the remnants of a palace. He is recognized for his significant contributions to monastic literature, specifically through a set of guidelines he composed for a convent founded by his mother.