Palace of the Popes, Avignon

Timeline

1. 1309–1334Around the bishop's palace in Avignon · AvignonAfter Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon in 1309, John XXII maintained court operations on the basis of the bishop's palace. No large palace as seen today existed yet, but the site on the Rocher des Doms was established as the papal residence.
2. 1335–1342Palace of the Popes, Avignon · AvignonBenedict XII employed the master mason Pierre Poisson from Foix, demolished the old bishop's palace, and built high walls, the Tour de la Gâche (Angel Tower) and the papal chapel, forming the fortified Old Palace. The architectural style was restrained, emphasizing defense, storage, and monastic order.
3. 1342–1352Palace of the Popes, Avignon · AvignonClement VI had Jean de Louvres direct the New Palace works, opening the Cour d'Honneur, the Grand Chapel, and grand reception halls, and hiring Sienese painters to execute frescoes. The main body was completed by 1352, making the palace one of the largest Gothic palaces in medieval Europe.
4. 1348Palace of the Popes, Avignon · AvignonDuring the Black Death the palace remained the center of papal indulgences, finance, and diplomacy; later Innocent VI and others strengthened its defenses. After the papacy returned to Rome in 1377, the building suffered garrisoning and damage, was restored in the 19th–20th centuries, and in 1995 was inscribed as the core of the Historic Centre of Avignon.