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Avignon

Type Object Region Europe Time 1309–1377

Located in the Rhône Valley of France, Avignon became the papal residence from 1309, known in history as the "Babylonian Captivity" or "Exile of Avig…

Timeline

  1. 1309–1314Avignon · ProvenceIn 1309 Pope Clement V moved the papal curia from Rome to Avignon; the cardinals, papal courts, and diplomatic envoys gathered there, and the city became a new center of religious power under the suzerainty of the French king.
  2. 1311–1320Palais des Papes, Avignon · ProvenceBetween 1311 and 1320, after Clement V died in April 1314, the papacy experienced an interregnum from 1314 to 1316; in 1316 John XXII was elected and vigorously expanded the Palais des Papes, with papal finances, canon law, and crusade matters all decided here, drawing large numbers of clergy, artisans, and merchants.
  3. c. 1316–1360Palais des Papes, Avignon · ProvenceThe large-scale expansion of the Palais des Papes made Avignon one of Europe's grandest Gothic palaces, the city's population doubled, and Rhône river transport and Provençal produce sustained the curia's consumption and building needs.
  4. 1377–1403Avignon · ProvenceAfter Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377, Avignon still briefly served as the seat of an antipope during the Western Schism, after which it gradually reverted to a regional city role, though the Palais des Papes remains as a historical witness to the papal era.

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