Tag Archives: Avignon

The Popes of Provence

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One of the highlights of a visit to Avignon is seeing the magnificent Papal Palace, once home to seven popes. But what were they were doing in Avignon instead of Rome? It’s an interesting tale.

For centuries, popes jockeyed with kings and emperors for worldly power. Things came to a head in the early 14th century when Pope Boniface VIII decided to excommunicate King Philip IV of France (this was not a good idea.) This enraged the king, and before long forces loyal to him attacked the pope, who died soon after. His successor was short-lived and King Philip forced the next papal conclave to elect his personal friend, Bertrand de Got, as Pope Clement V.

Pope Clement refused to go to Rome and set up shop in Avignon instead—the city and surrounding territories were then part of the Papal States. Thus began the Avignon Papacy, or as some in Rome snidely call it today, the Babylonian Captivity.

Learn more about this fascinating episode in church history in My French Life!

 

What Did the Pont d’Avignon Originally Look Like?

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Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse, l’on y danse
Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L’on y danse tous en rond

Many of us learned that song as kids, about the famous Pont d’Avignon in Provence. For those of us lucky enough to see the real bridge in all its glory, we are often surprised because it’s rather short—only about 100 yards long and ending partway across the Rhone River.

Much of the original Pont d’Avignon tumbled into the Rhone centuries ago, a victim of inadequate construction and poor maintenance. Today it’s hard to imagine what it looked like when it was nearly a mile long and spanned the entire river. Was it straight or curved? Was it fortified? Did it have a drawbridge in the middle?

Luckily, a group of scientists and historians has discovered what the bridge looked like and has created a full 3D model of it. There’s even a video that shows what it was like to cross from one side to the other and back!

Read all about it at The Good Life France!