Avignon

Avignon is a French city that resides in the south-eastern part of France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhone river. When I visited this city I was amazed by its medieval architecture. At one point in time Avignon was like a mini Vatican City. Between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided here. In 1348 Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples. In this day in age, Avignon is now the capital of the Vaulcluse department and one of the fewer French cities to have persevered its medieval ramparts.

There are several cool sites to visit in Avignon like the Palais des Papes, Le pont d’Avignon and the cathedrale. The Palais des Papes is a historical palace in Avignon and one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic building in Europe. The palace consists of two buildings, the old palace of Benedict XII and the new Palace of Clement VI. One of the things I found the most interesting was that not only is the final combination the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages, it is also deemed as one of the best examples of the International Gothic architectural style. The construction design was the work of two of France’s best architects, Pierre Peysson and Jean du Louvres. Also the papal library was the largest in Europe at the time.

 

The Pont Saint- Benezet (the Pont d’Avignon) is a famous medieval bridge. It was built between 1177 and 1185. It was destroyed 40 years later than rebuilt with 22 stone arches. Now there are only 4 arches that rest. No one know what exactly happened to the other 18 arches, but while I walk across the bridge I could see where the bridge stops in the middle of the river. The bridge was the inspiration for the song Sur le Pont d’Avignon and is considered a landmark of the city. In 1995, the surviving arches of the bridge, together with the Palais des Papes  and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms were classified as a World Heritage Site.

 

Avignon Cathedral is a Roman-Catholic cathedral located next to the Palais des Papes. The cathedral was built primarily in the second half of the 12th century. The bell tower collapsed in 1405 and was rebuilt in 1425. In 1670-1672 the apse was rebuilt and extended. During the revolution the cathedral was abandonned and left to deteriorate. The most prominent feature of the cathedral is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary at the top the bell tower which was erected in 1859.