Papal Palace

The Papal Palace in Avignon was built at a time when the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Clement V, tired of the endless intrigues around the papacy, decided to settle in the picturesque Provence city. This period in history is called the period of the Avignon captivity of the popes.

Having moved to Avignon, the Pope's own residence was not immediately equipped. At first, they had enough simple cells in the Dominican monastery and the old episcopal palace. Only Benedict XII set out to mark his accession to the throne with the construction of a papal residence. In 1335, he decided to remodel the episcopal palace with the preservation of the layout. Almost all the works were entrusted to local masters, with the exception of paintings entrusted to Italian artists. The building was built in a very short time. Now that part of the castle, which was built under Benedict XII, is called the "Old Palace" or "Palace of Benedict XII".

The papal palace is more like a fortress than the abode of the pontiff. The castle has twelve towers, inside which there are residential, economic and ceremonial premises. The highest towers have five floors.