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Origin and history

The Palais des Papes d'Avignon, located on the rock of the Doms, is an imposing Gothic fortress built in the 14th century to house the papacy during its exile from Italy. This monument, both a papal residence and a symbol of power, was erected in two major phases: the Old Palace under Benedict XII (1335-1342), conceived as an austere citadel, and the New Palace under Clement VI (1342-1352), more gratifying and decorated with frescoes by Italian masters such as Matteo Giovanetti. Avignon's choice, then in Empire but strategic between France and Italy, reflected the political tensions of the time and the need for a secure basis for the Church.

The palace became the administrative and cultural heart of Western Christendom, home to a 2,000-volume library, a chapel decorated by Simone Martini, and an attractive court of artists, musicians and readers like Petrarch. Six conclaves stood there, electing popes such as Benedict XII and Gregory XI. However, the gradual return of the papacy to Rome from 1376, marked by the pontificates of Urbain V and Gregory XI, sealed the political decline of the palace, although it remained a symbol of power until the Great Schism of the West (1378-1417), when Avignon hosted antipaps like Benedict XIII.

After the definitive departure of the popes, the palace experienced various uses: military barracks under Louis XIV, prison during the French Revolution (notably during the massacre of the Glacier in 1791), then progressive restoration from the 19th century. Ranked a historic monument since 1840 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, it is now a major tourist site, hosting more than 770,000 visitors annually. Its rooms, such as the Grande Chapelle or the Grand Tinel, its frescoes and restored pontifical gardens testify to its glorious past.

The architecture of the palace, combining defensive functions (crennel towers, mâchicoulis) and residential (apartments, private apartments), illustrates the international Gothic style. Elements such as the tower of the Angels (former chamber of the pope) or the tower of Trouillas (donjon) underline its role as a fortress, while painted decorations, such as those of the Cerf Chamber, reveal an innovative aesthetic research. Viollet-le-Duc, in the 19th century, studied its architectural peculiarities, including its galleries and defence systems, before major restorations were undertaken in the 20th century to restore its medieval appearance.

The palace is also inseparable from the Avignon cultural life, hosting since 1947 the Festival d'Avignon, whose court of honor is the emblematic place. Temporary exhibitions, such as those dedicated to Picasso or Sebastiao Salgado, are regularly organized. Finally, the palace remains a symbol of identity for the region, linked to the history of the wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape (whose name was inspired by the Pontifical Court) and to local traditions such as Christmas holidays, mixing religious heritage and popular celebrations.

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