When the Popes left the Vatican they Built the Palace of the Popes in Avingnon
Excerpt from the book On a Tall Budget and Short Attention Span from the Teresa the Traveler Series.
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The next morning I walked to the information center across from my hotel to pick up some brochures and get some assistance in creating an itinerary. The lady at the desk helped me form a plan for the next few days.
Day One: The Palace of the Popes and les Pont St-Benezet. Rather than face the violent chaos in Rome that followed his 1309 election as Pope, Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon. The puppet Pope supported Philip IV, the King of France, in his shady campaign to arrest hundreds of Knights Templar – an action financially motivated by the royal bureaucracy to increase the wealth of the crown. The Knights templar was founded in 1096 for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the many Christians who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after it was conquered. The order was endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church and grew into an organization that managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom and initiated an early form of banking. When the Christians lost control of the Holy Land, support for the Templers faded turning into mistrust. Phillip IV was in debt to the Order and pressured Pope Clement V to take action against them. In 1307 many of their members were forced into giving false confessions before being burned at the stake. Then in 1312 they were disbanded by order of the Pope. Pope Clement V lived as a guest in the Dominican monastery at Avignon and it was not until the reign of Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342) that the reconstruction of the old bishops’ palace began. By the time construction was completed, the palace occupied an area of 2.6 acres. The popes left Avignon in 1377 and returned to Rome at which time antipopes Clement VII and Benedict XIII made Avignon their home until 1408. An antipope is a person who makes a widely accepted claim to be the lawful pope in opposition to the pope recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. I spent a few hours wondering through the old palace and checking out the rooms where the popes once resided before visiting the huge cathedral next door. These men of God lived more like kings than preachers; God must have really liked them. |
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For tips on visiting Europe CLICK HERE
For general travel tips on what to pack and how to plan ahead CLICK HERE
For tips on travelling on a budget CLICK HERE
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Where I Stayed...
Hotel Alizea 38, cours Jean Jaures 84000 Avignon, France Tel: 04 90 82 03 21 Fax: 04 90 27 17 39 [email protected] |
