The Papal Palace of Avignon

By Tammy Martin and Christelle Hunt-Thomas

Prior to this program, I had never heard about Palais des Papes before, but I am so glad we came here! This medieval gothic palace (the world's largest) looks like something right out of a fairytale book. It turns out the Popes decided to get out of dodge, aka Rome, back in the day (1300’s) when they felt Italy no longer suited them due to the increasing political turmoil, and opted for peaceful quaint Avignon, France. Why France? King Philip IV arranged for a French cardinal to be elected pope, and so French-born Pope Clement V moved in and in 20 yrs the Palais des Papes was completed.

Listening to the provided guided tour tablet, 7 French-born popes ended up using this palace as home base before they uprooted and went back to Rome. Luckily it was made into a museum for visitors to marvel at, and I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have seen it. There were a lot of crumbling stones, some steps and narrow passageways did make me a bit nervous. But the remaining frescoes and room designs were stunning. 

Speaking of rooms, the Hotel du Palais des Papes we stayed at may have been lacking in breakfast choices, but it went above and beyond with its gorgeous room decor, location, and views! It really did feel like staying in a castle. (see pic)

The Saint-Bénezet bridge nearby that we also visited is no stranger to fame either. As one of the most famous bridges in the world, it was built using the Roman arch design and lasted years until it partially collapsed not long after Louis XIV walked across it. Out of the 22 arches, only 4 remain. When our group stood out on it, it was such a breathtaking sight to look up the Rhone river and its picturesque banks. But boy, was it windy! I liked that the audio guide gave us 6 different versions of the famous song to listen to and dance to.

--TM

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When we visited Palais des Papes, there was a lot to take in around us. Before even getting to the palais, there was an enormous wall that surrounded everything in that area. Something I didn’t know before entering the palais was that it’s the largest and most important medieval gothic building in Europe. I figured that it was a fortress because of the giant wall that surrounds it, but it really amazes me that it was once a palace that was used during the 14th century. Something I also learned was that it’s actually two buildings that are combined, one old and one that’s a bit newer. There’s actually a library inside that was the biggest library in all of Europe during that time period and there were also a lot of musicians that went to where there’s a chapel inside of the Palais. For someone to start to build something that large in 1252 is so amazing to me because it’s such a large structure with incredibly tall ceilings and designs.

--CHT