• HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Twitter

Wild About Travel

Travel Tales by a Travel Addict

  • HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
Home » Blog » Avignon ‘Palais des Papes’, Masterpiece of Gothic Architecture

Avignon ‘Palais des Papes’, Masterpiece of Gothic Architecture

//  by Simon//  Leave a Comment

The magic of the ‘Palais des Papes’ is in its magnificence and the emotions it inspires.

Avignon Palais des Papes Gothic Masterpiece

Magnificent and austere, the ‘Palais des Papes’ (or the Papal Palace) in Avignon is one of the most breathtaking masterpieces of Gothic architecture, and an example of the role and power of the Catholic Church in the late Middle Age.

Avignon Palais des Papes, Cloister

Compared to the Vatican, with its Classic and Baroque architecture, the ‘Palais des Papes’ looks more like a fortress than a palace, evoking the mansion of a warrior king and not the home of the spiritual head of Christianity. In fact, it perfectly reflects the temporal power of the Pope during the Middle Age and until 1870, as well as the troubled political situation, which led the move from Rome to Avignon  of the Papacy between 1309 and 1378.

Avignon Palais des Papes, Benoit XII Cloister

Started in 1335 and completed in less than 20 years, not only is the ‘Palace of Popes’ the largest gothic building in Europe, it is also one of the most stunning and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 together with the Episcopal Ensemble and the famous Avignon Bridge.

Avignon Palais des Papes Perspectives

Like the external structure, the large Benoit XII Cloister is austere, its beauty defined by the perfect proportions of the architectural elements. However, the interiors were once richly decorated with tapestries, frescoes, statues, wooden ceilings.

Avignon Palais des Papes Wall Painting

Part of the past lavishness is still visible in the extraordinary frescoes by Matteo Giovannetti in the Saint Jean Chapel and in the Grand Audience Hall, in the wonderful wooden ceilings and other superb wall paintings.

Avignon Palais des Papes Frescoes

After the Papacy eventually moved back to Rome in 1378, the ‘Palais des Papes’ remained under the Pope’s control but having lost its importance, it slowly deteriorated.  In the early 1800s it became a military barracks and a prison until 1906, when  the palace was cleared out, restoration began and it became a Museum.

Avignon Palais des Papes Superb Gothic Interior

The importance and appeal of the Papal Palace was further enhanced with the creation of the Avignon Festival, the arts festival established in 1947 by Jean Vilar attracting every summer thousands of visitors in the city and whose most important performances take place in the magnificent Court of Honor.

Avignon Palais des Papes Rooftop

The magic of Avignon ‘Palais des Papes’ is in the many emotions it inspires: its huge proportions, made me feel very small, the austere external architecture led me to a different age, and the rooms decorated with the beautiful 14th Century frescoes took my breath away. An experience impossible to forget.

 

Practical Information:

Getting there: Avignon can be easily reached by high-speed train (TGV) from the main cities in France. The main international airport in the vicinity is Marseille, connecting over 55 destinations.

Lodging: I stayed at the very comfortable and centrally located 4 stars Hotel de l’Horloge. Avignon offers however a broad array of accommodations including hostels, bed and breakfast, budget hotels and upscale hotels. You can book it here ➤ Booking.com

Restaurants: Lots of cosy restaurants, most of which with al fresco dining. The stylish 83 Vernet serves excellent food in a beautiful courtyard of a superb building dating back to the 16th and 17th Century.  Another good option is the informal Cuisine et Comptoir, proposing traditional local dishes as well as creative cuisine with international influences.

Palais des Papes: More information on the Palace, its history, opening hours and costs on the website.

______

Note: A big thank you to Atout France Italy,  Provence Guide and Avignon Tourisme for the invitation to discover this wonderful area of Southern France and visit Avignon and the magnificent ‘Palais des Papes’. As always, opinions, thoughts and emotions are only mine. 

 

More reading: Mesmerized by Marseille and the ‘Quartier Le Panier’

 

Simon

Travel addict and passionate about photography, Simon Falvo started Wild About Travel back in 2009. Leveraging her strong PR background, she developed an extensive knowledge of Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing. Besides travel writing Simon holds workshops and trainings, she collaborated with tourism boards for digital marketing campaigns and participated as a speaker at several events.

Category: FRANCETag: europe, fascinating cities, unesco whs

Previous Post: « Jungfraujoch Tour: A Day Trip to Switzerland White Wonderland
Next Post: The Magnificent Ravenna Mosaics of S. Apollinare Nuovo Ravenna Mosaics»

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

about me

simon-falvo

Hi, I’m Simon!

A solo and independent traveler for over 20 years, and a 50+ girl young at heart.

I worked for over a decade in Investment Banking, then a few years in one of the largest international PR groups. In 2009, after a burn-out, I left the corporate world and started a new adventure.

MORE

book your stay



Booking.com

book a tour / skip the lines

questions about italy?

Send me an e-mail

 

featured posts

Vie di Dante - Views from Dante's Train

Dante’s Train: A Beautiful Train Ride From Faenza To Florence

Ski resorts in Switzerland

Ski Holidays in Switzerland: How to Pick your Ideal Mountain Resort

Portovenere, View on the Gulf

Discover the Best Things to do in Portovenere, Italy

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.