On the Bridge to Avignon ….

Likely the most familiar piece of history in Avignon is its bridge, Pont d’Avignon, which was built in Roman times. It is named after the shepherd Benezet who announced to one and all that God had commanded him to build a bridge.  The original bridge was made of wood. It is said that the bridge’s construction was quick as it was soon realized that its completion would generate economic activity to help develop the city. The only bridge between Lyon and the mediterranean, in 1186 tolls were charged for passage of goods.

Due to flooding of the Rhone river, the bridge was subject to much repair. The continual effort to repair the bridge was abandoned in the middle of the 17th century.  Where once there were twenty two arches, only four arches and a chapel remain.

This walled city was established when the papacy decided to relocate from Rome to Avignon in the early 1300s. The church believed it needed to be closer to the economic centre of Europe.  By the late 1300s there was dissention within church ranks who debated whether its headquarters should return once more to Rome.  As we know, this ultimately happened in the early 1400s. 

The first Pope of Avignon, Clement V, purchased the land for the City of Avignon from the Queen of Naples in 1378. Nine different popes presided in Avignon overseeing the construction of the Palace of the Popes.  Our palace tour offered many striking vantage points of the city. Where once minstrels and damsels would have walked through this medieval walled city, today, there is a combination of hotels and private residences lining its cobble stone streets.

 

The Palace served multiple purposes – it was the Pope’s residence, a place of worship, a fortress, city hall and a jail! If you disagreed with the catholic religion you would be labelled a heretic and thrown into one of the cells. You can see remnants of messages left by prisoners still etched in stone.

 

In the 18th century the Palace was subject to military occupation. The military changed the Palace to make it more functional for their own use and an attempt was made to hide artifacts. We saw pictures that showed this ornate entry way covered up.

                                              Unfortunately, during the protestant war the Palace was vandalized.  The Palace is now a shadow of its  former self. This room was used as a banquet hall where the Pope dined with his serfs and clerics.

 

 

While the Palace remains grand in scale, the majority of its rooms now sit empty, save for the occasional bench, chair or statue, its frescoes have faded and its ornamentation worn away.

 

On the day we visited, the wind was whistling through the streets of Avignon and we found ourselves seeking out the souvenir shops so we could warm up! The few souvenir shops that were open had an overwhelming scent from the lavender sachets they had for sale. They also sold music boxes which played the song On the Bridge to Avignon!