Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Palace of the Popes (Palais des Papes)
In 1309 a French pope was elected (Pope Clément V). At the urging of the French king,
His Holiness decided that dangerous Italy was no place for a pope, so he moved the whole
operation to Avignon for a secure rule under a supportive king. The Catholic Church liter-
ally bought Avignon (then a two-bit town), and popes resided here until 1403. Meanwhile,
Italians demanded a Roman pope, so from 1378 on, there were twin popes—one in Rome
and one in Avignon—causing a schism in the Catholic Church that wasn't fully resolved
until 1417.
Cost and Hours: €10.50 (more for special exhibits), essential audioguide-€2, €13
combo-ticket includes St. Bénezet Bridge, daily March-June and Sept-Oct 9:00-19:00,
July-Aug 9:00-20:00, Nov-Feb 9:30-17:45, last entry one hour before closing, tel. 04 90
27 50 74, www.palais-des-papes.com .
Visiting the Palace: Spring for the slick multimedia audioguide, which leads you
along a one-way route and does a decent job of overcoming the palace's complete lack of
furnishings. It teaches the basic history while allowing you to tour at your own pace. A
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