Popes' Palace, Markets & More

This was one of those days that the photos will tell the story better than anything I could write (though I do share some history). Avignon has exceeded any expectations any of us had. WOW.

Just strolling about on a Tuesday revealed unique treasures from a street fair, to exceptional architecture, to surprise works of art, and even a flea market.

Our first true destination was Les Halles- The Markets.

"Occurring daily since the beginning of the 19th century, the Place Pie market focused on the exchange of a large number of food products from the city. The construction of the halls's history fits into the national context of industrial expansion, major infrastructure works, and real estate operations of the second half of the 19th century."

"The market developed from 1859. An iron market hall was installed in 1864. After the failure of several projects to build a covered market between 1870 and 1890, Mayor Pourquery de Boisserin finally had it adopted by the municipal council the principle of construction of halls on the site of the covered market in 1891. Cost of the project: 400,000 Frs."

A true surprise for me is the Theater Windows of Avignon. Every year during the last three weeks of July (this year it has been moved up due to the Olympics and Steve and I have opening night tickets), Avignon is transformed into a grand theater stage. The festival of dance, theater and song was founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, a French actor and theater director. Performances are held on the city’s large stages, but also in private backyards, cafés or small squares. In 1986, artists Marion Pochy and Dominique Durand began creating bricked-up windows that can be found on many buildings in the old city. Today, there are 70 windows that are large murals referencing famous productions in the festival’s history."

The most delightful lunch was enjoyed in a little side street at L'Amista.

We popped into this art gallery to see their exhibit on engraved art/printmaking. What a fun detour.

This poster for Perrier is just so French. I love it.

Our ultimate destination was the Palais des Papes, the most important building built during the Gothic period. This gigantic edifice testifies to the presence of the nine popes who will succeed one another in Avignon during the 20th century. It was built in less than 1335 years, from 1352 to XNUMX (by the way the XNUMXth century is a turning point. One of the darkest and most mysterious centuries not only in French but also in European history).

The Palace was mainly the work of two builder popes: Benedict XII, who had the first pontifical palace built (known as the Old Palace), and Clement VI who had new extensions (called Palais Neuf). But why were they here?

Prior to its construction, during the second half of the 13th century, the pope resided regularly outside of Rome. Innocent IV, for example, sojourned several years in Lyon between 1245 and 1251. When Pope Clement V came to Avignon in 1309, received by the Dominicans, he had no intention of establishing himself permanently, nor of creating a new Christian capital in Avignon. It was, nonetheless, the role that the city would play for a hundred years.

The choice of Avignon as a permanent residence was essentially the result of political considerations. The pope no longer wanted to stay in a Rome torn by rival clans, prey to constant riots and uprisings. After the schism between the eastern and western church, Rome found herself outside the center of Catholic Christianity, of which the kingdoms of France and England formed the two great and rival powers. Avignon lies adjacent to the County of Venaissin, church land since 1274. The city itself belonged to Charles II of Anjou, Count of Provence as well as king of Naples, making him a vassal and faithful ally of the pope. Pacified, Provence enjoyed a profound peace for half a century.

During the first period, from 1309 to 1376, six successive popes resided in Avignon: Clement V, Jean XXII, Benoit XII, Clement VI, Innocent VI et Urban V.. These 67 years radically transformed the city, and left a marked imprint, to which the city today owes its world renown.

The installation of the pope and his court provoked a tremendous increase in population. Avignon counted an estimated 40,000 inhabitants. This number, very elevated for the time, made Avignon one of the largest cities in Europe, and certainly the most cosmopolitan. Okay, so you get why we're here and touring this amazing space.

Our visited allowed us to discover the stages and construction techniques of this extraordinary building and its fabulous decorations, to understand how the temporal and spiritual power of the papacy was exercised, to meet the popes and important figures. that marked the place, to relive the cultural influence and the splendor of the papal court.

More than 25 rooms are open to the public: audience rooms such as the Great Audience and the Consistory; ceremonial rooms of exceptional dimensions which hosted ceremonies such as the Grande Chapelle Clémentine, or feasts such as the Grand Tinel; the Pope's private apartments including the Pope's Chamber and the Stag's Chamber which feature secular naturalist frescoes unique for the period; the terraces from which one discovers a marvelous panorama of the Palace, the City of Avignon and the Rhône.

A must was to explore the Gardens in the time of the Popes.

Like the great princes of the Middle Ages, the popes of Avignon considered the gardens to be an integral part of their palace. Taking up the situation of the orchard and the gardens established to the east of the old episcopal palace, John XXII, Benoit XII, Clement VI and Urban V created new gardens from those of their predecessors.

"But the gardens are fragile developments: only the bodies of the buildings that had been erected there remain visible today. Luckily, the accounting archives of the Apostolic Chamber kept in the Vatican make it possible to reconstruct the history of the creation of these gardens. We find there a lot of information relating to the construction of the ramparts, the fountains and various buildings, but also to the species planted and to the constructions of wood and greenery."