Return of the Papacy to Rome

Timeline

1. 1376Avignon · FranceUrged by Saint Catherine of Italy and others and by the appeals of the Roman people, Gregory XI resolved to end the Avignon period. In September 1376 he left the papal palace in Avignon, and the curia's institutions and archives moved south in stages. King Charles V of France expressed regret but did not strongly obstruct, while some French cardinals were uneasy about leaving France's sphere of influence.
2. 1377Rome · ItalyOn January 17, 1377, Gregory XI arrived in Rome, formally ending the "Avignon Captivity" that had lasted since 1309. The Roman people celebrated the papacy's return as a symbol of the Church's restoration to the traditional seat of Saint Peter's successor. However, the curia's institutions had become deeply Gallicized, and Rome, long neglected, required reconstruction, making the return full of challenges.
3. 1377–1378Rome · ItalyThe papacy's efforts to rebuild authority in Rome were cut short by Gregory XI's death in 1378. The ensuing conflict between the newly elected Urban VI and the French cardinals intensified, and some cardinals returned to Avignon to elect a rival pope, triggering the Western Schism (1378–1417). Although the papacy's return to Rome ended the Avignon period, it failed to restore Church unity.