Palais des Papes
Palais des Papes | |
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Location | Avignon, France |
Coordinates | 43°57′03″N 4°48′27″E / 43.9508°N 4.8075°E |
Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
Europe and North America |
The Palais des Papes (
Description
The Palais is actually two joined buildings: the old palais of
In addition, the papal library housed in the Palais (the largest in Europe at the time with over 2,000 volumes), attracted a group of clerics passionate in the study of "belles-lettres", amongst them the founder of
Due to its immense size, the Palais was also the place where the general organisation of the Church began to change. It facilitated the centralisation of services and the adaptation of operations in order to suit the needs of the papacy, creating a truly central administration for the Church.[3] The manpower of the Curia (Church administration), while 200 at the end of the 13th century, surpassed 300 at the beginning of the 14th century and reached 500 people in 1316. To this were added over 1,000 lay officials working within the Palais.[4]
Despite this, the Palais became obsolete when the papacy found it necessary to return to Rome. The hope of reuniting Latin and Orthodox Christians, along with the achievement of peace in the Papal States in Italy, made the case for returning stronger. Added to that was the strong conviction of both
In the following centuries, the Palais lost all of its former glory, despite serving as the seat of two
History
The palace's groundbreaking began in AD 1252. Under
The Palais Vieux was constructed by the architect Pierre Poisson of Mirepoix at the instruction of Pope Benedict XII. The austere Benedict had the original episcopal palace razed and replaced with a much larger building centred on a cloister, heavily fortified against attackers. Its four wings are flanked with high towers.
Under Popes Clement VI, Innocent VI and Urban V, the building was expanded to form what is now known as the Palais Neuf. An architect, Jean de Louvres, was commissioned by Clement VI to build a new tower and adjoining buildings, including a 52 m long Grand Chapel to serve as the location for papal acts of worship. Two more towers and a bridge were built under Innocent VI. Urban V completed the main courtyard (known as the Court of Honor) with further buildings enclosing it. The interior of the building was sumptuously decorated with frescos, tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and wooden ceilings.
The popes departed Avignon in 1377, returning to Rome, but this prompted the
Although the Palais remained under papal control (along with the surrounding city and Comtat Venaissin) for over 350 years afterward, it gradually deteriorated despite a restoration in 1516. When the French Revolution broke out in 1789 it was already in a bad state when it was seized and sacked by revolutionary forces. In 1791 it became the scene of a massacre of counter-revolutionaries, whose bodies were thrown into the Tour des Latrines in the Palais Vieux.
The Palais was subsequently taken over by the
Charles Dickens describes a tour around this building in his book: Pictures from Italy. His guide he describes as a she-devil with flashing black eyes who glories in the gory past when the building was used as a torture chamber.[6]
Present
The Palais is today a historical and architectural landmark and primarily a tourist attraction, attracting around 650,000 visitors per annum, putting it regularly in the top ten most visited attractions in France.[7] It also houses a large convention centre and the archives of the département of Vaucluse, which include a research centre on the papacy of Avignon, organised jointly by the École française de Rome and the institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes.
The Palais regularly serves as an exhibition centre. The first major exhibition was initiated by René Char, in the Grand Chapel between 27 and 30 June 1947. Entitled "Exposition de peintures et sculptures contemporaines" (Exposition of contemporary painters and sculptors), it was the starting point for what would later become the Festival d'Avignon.[8]
The courtyard of the Palais des Papes is a central performance location during the Festival d'Avignon, which is held every year in July. It is also the site of many cultural and economic events including exhibitions, shows, and conventions.
The Palais is also home to the International Congress Centre,[9] which was established in 1976 and today hosts a large number of events annually. These include congresses, parliaments, symposia, reunions and other gatherings, with the largest room, the 'Grande Audience', able to hold up to 700 guests.
Architecture
With 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) of floor space, the Palais is the largest Gothic palace in all of Europe
The towers
Clément VI studium
The studium, or private study of Clement VI, is commonly called the chambre du cerf (room of the stag), on account of the justly-celebrated 14th-century frescoes, depicting courtly hunting scenes, that decorate the walls and vaults. The subject matter, while common in contemporary secular art, is as unexpected in a room supposedly dedicated to study as it is for a room in a papal apartment. The frescoes were probably painted by French artists, who were either highly influenced by Sienese art or assisted by Simone Martini and/or Matteo Giovanetti, both of whom served as Clement's court painter.
The Great Tinel
This room was used primarily as a reception room. Covered with tapestries on starry blue background, there is actually nothing left of these decorations. Indeed, a fire destroyed the palace in the 14th century: many parts have been restored or rebuilt.
During conclaves, it was in this room that the cardinals met to elect a new pope. For the occasion, the room was walled and only a small aperture was left open to provide all the necessary food. After each conclave, the temporary walls were destroyed, revealing a vaulted room opening to the rest of the palace.
The chapels
Saint-Martial chapel
Located on the second level of the Saint-Jean tower, the
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4 angels
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Saint Martial Chapel – west wall and door
Saint-Jean chapel
From 1347 to 1348, Matteo Giovannetti was in charge of the Saint-Jean chapel, located under the Saint-Martial chapel.[12]
Art exhibitions at the Palais des Papes
The Palais des Papes regularly hosts art exhibitions. The tradition began in 1947, when the art critic
See also
Notes and references
- ^ "Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Centre historique d'Avignon: Palais des papes, ensemble épiscopal et Pont d'Avignon" [Historic Centre of Avignon: Palais des papes together with the Pont d'Avignon] (in French). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ Yves Renouard, La Papauté à Avignon, p. 7.
- ^ ISBN 2-03-000903-2(pour le T. III).
- ^ Du vandalisme en France – Lettre à M. Victor Hugo, Charles de Montalembert, Revue des Deux Mondes, tome 1, janv. – mars 1833
- ^ Charles Dickens: Pictures From Italy, 1846
- ^ "Palais des Papes – Avignon". Palais-des-papes.com. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Le Centre International des Congrès du Palais des Papes". Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ "The Pope's Palace | welcome". Palais-des-papes.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ "Saint-Martial chapel". Culture.gouv.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ "Saint-Jean chapel". Culture.gouv.fr. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ See "Szczesny. Métamorphoses méditerranéennes", p. 7 (preface by Cécile Helle)
- ^ Millet, Bernard (30 November 2001). "La beauté in fabula". La pensée de midi (2): 112–113. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
External links
- Official website (in English)
- The Popes Palace, visit and report
- (in Polish) Photos of the Popes Palace in Avignon