Bonjour mes amis! Tuesday, March 1, Lee and I and the Crabtrees went to Avignon to explore the Palace of the Popes. Pope Clement V, a French pope, was elected in 1309. Since the new pope was tired of Italy, he moved to Avignon for a more secure rule. The Catholic Church purchased Avignon and the popes resided there until 1403. At the same time, Italians demanded a Roman Pope so from 1378 there were two popes, one in Rome and the other in Avignon. This caused a problem in the Catholic Church which lasted until 1417. Le Palais des Papes was originally built to accommodate 500 people as the center of the Vatican and the home of the Pope. The Palais des Papes is the largest surviving Gothic palace in Europe. The last Pope left in 1417, yet the Vatican owned Avignon until the French Revolution in 1789. Avignon residents, many of whom had come from Rome, spoke Italian for a century after the Pope left, making Avignon a "linguistic island" within France. This was the most fortified palace of the age since the Pope left Rome to be more secure. It was quite interesting to visualize what life might have been like in the palace 600 years ago.
Mme. Wallace
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