Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
smallmuseuminsidethepalacealsoaddscontext.Still,touringthepalaceisprettyanticli-
mactic, given its historic importance.
As you wander, ponder that this palace—the largest surviving Gothic palace in
Europe—was built to accommodate 500 people as the administrative center of the Holy
See and home of the pope. This was the most fortified palace of the age (remember, the
pope left Rome to be more secure). Nine popes ruled from here, making this the center of
Christianity for nearly 100 years. You'll walk through the pope's personal quarters (fres-
coed with happy hunting scenes), see many models of how the various popes added to the
building, and learn about its state-of-the-art plumbing. The rooms are huge. The “pope's
chapel” is twice the size of the adjacent Avignon cathedral.
The last pope (or, technically, antipope, since by then Rome also had its own rival
pope) checked out in 1403 (escaping a siege), but the Church owned Avignon until the
French Revolution in 1789. During this interim period, the pope's “legate” (official rep-
resentative, normally a nephew) ruled Avignon from this palace. Avignon residents, many
of whom had come from Rome, spoke Italian for a century after the pope left, making it a
linguistic ghetto within France. In the Napoleonic age, the palace was a barracks, housing
1,800 soldiers. You can see cuts in the wall where high ceilings gave way to floor beams.
Climb the tower (Tour de la Gâche) for grand views and a rooftop café with surprisingly
good food at very fair prices.
Wine Room:
A room at the end of the tour (called
la boutellerie
) is dedicated to the
region's wines, of which they claim the pope was a fan. Sniff “Le Nez du Vin”—a black
box with 54 tiny bottles designed to develop your “nose.” (Blind-test your travel partner.)
The nearby village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is where the pope summered in the 1320s. Its
famouswineisadirectdescendantofhiswine.You'rewelcometotastehere(about€6for
three to five fine wines and souvenir tasting cup). If it's only wine you want, go directly to
the back entrance of the palace and enter the boutique.
• You'll exit at the rear of the palace, where my “Back Streets” walking tour begins (de-
scribed next). Or, to return to Palace Square, make two rights after exiting the palace.
▲▲▲
Discovering Avignon's Back Streets
UsethemapinthischapterortheTImaptonavigatethiseasy,level,30-minutewalk.This
self-guided tour begins in the small square (Place de la Mirande) behind the Palace of the
Popes. If you've toured the palace, this is where you exit. Otherwise, from the front of the
palace, follow the narrow, cobbled Rue de la Peyrollerie—carved out of the rock—around
the palace on the right side as you face it.
• Our walk begins at the...
