Avignon 2004

With a beautiful medieval papal residence, a medieval bridge, and a major festival, no wonder Avignon is a destination.



(Papal palace: where judgement is pronounced)

Selected as the seat of the Papacy during the period referred to as Babylonian Captivity (1309 - 1377) and remained as a papal possession until the French Revolution, Avignon has got history. Known for extravagance, corruptions, and two antipopes stemmed from the Great Schism, a visit to the papal palace is eye opening. The ticket includes a self-guided tour where every room and nook has a mind bugling stories from the numbers of cows, pigs, chickens, and games of all sorts are consumed in a feast to the cavernous halls size of football field where popes were selected, church justice was pronounced, and all sorts of creepy, exuberant, and mundane acts took place. If you enjoy history, the palace is worth the time and effort.



(Papal palace: where the pope received greeters)

Pont d'Avignon is really Pont St Benezet, a seemingly minor subtlety whose import would be obvious until you see only street signs for Pont St Benezet while trying to get to Pont d'Avignon. With only four arches remain, this bridge, meant to straddle the Rhone river and connect the towns of Avignon and Villeneuve Les Avignon, was in a constant state of collapsing until the locals just gave up on repairing five centuries after its initial completion in 1185. A beautiful bridge in its own right where a self-guided tour is bundled with a visit to the papal palace, the far end of the bridge offers the best vantage point to take panoramic pictures of the Avignon old town.



(Avignon as seen from Pont St Benezet)


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