Popes Palace Avignon, Castles of France

 

Popes Palace - a visitors guide

The Pope's Palace in Avignon is not strictly a castle or chateau, but we can take liberties for such an important building!

From 1309 onwards Avignon became the base for the popes, after Rome became too violent for Pope Clement V to stay there. The palace itself was commanded by Pope Benedict XII, the successor to Clement V and Pope John XXII, who built the Old Palace.

Construction of the magnificent gothic building continued through much of the middle of the 14th century, in a fine location on the 'Rocher des Domes' overlooking the Rhone River, with the second stage, referred to as the New Palace, being continued by the successors to Benedict XII.

Little expense was spared on the enormous building (15,000 square metres floor area, approximately four times as large as most cathedrals) or on its interior decoration, and it was quite possibly the most impressive building in the western world by the time it was completed. It's role at that stage would have been to emphasise the importance of the church - a role we imagine it would have fulfilled very well.

After 1377 the palace lost a little of its importance, because the Popes returned to Rome, but the return caused a major rupture in the Catholic church and disagreement over who was the 'true' pope and Avignon became the base for the contenders, known as antipopes. This position continued through the early decades of the 15th century as the Catholic church struggled to resolve its disagreements.

After 1433, when the palace returned to papal control, it began to fall into disrepair and neglect. Following the French revolution it was used as a military prison for a while, and much of the interior decoration continued to be destroyed.

It is only since the beginning of the 20th century that the fortunes of the Popes Palace have been reversed, and a great deal of renovation has been carried out in an attempt to restore the building to its former splendour.

During a tour of the Pope's palace in Avignon you can see many of the impressive rooms and chambers, including the chapels, the cloisters, and the state rooms. There are also some important frescoes to see in the Papal apartments.

Together with the surrounding structures that dominate the Avignon skyline and that include the pont d'Avignon, the ramparts and the cathedral, this part of Avignon is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map location - Popes Palace Avignon