Next on my list was the Palais des Papes, a UNESCO World heritage Site. The Popes’ Palace looks huge and is, in fact, two buildings joined together. A symbol of the church’s influence and power in the 14th century, the building is a fortress and the largest Gothic palace in the world. Nine successive popes were residents there.
Each room had a description and you could learn all about it if you scanned the QR code. Over twenty rooms are open to the public, such as the ceremonial halls, the Papal Chamber, the Pope’s private apartment, and two chapels with spectacular frescoes by Italian painter Matteo Giovannetti. Most rooms had an audio description on the website. From the top terraces, you have a panoramic views of the palace, the city itself, and the Rhône.
Despite being one of the ten most visited monuments in France, I found the palace a bit uninspiring after the first few rooms! This could have been because I was mindful of all the other places I wanted to see in Avignon with my City Pass! In hindsight, I could have cut my visit in half without missing too much. You never know this until you’ve seen it all!
Perhaps, my favourite part was the Palace Garden. Directly accessible from the Pope’s chambers, the garden was restored to its former design, including a replica of the griffin fountain and a floral meadow.
After the palace, I went to Pont d’Avignon — The Bridge of Avignon. The bridge is associated with Saint-Bénézet, “who was canonized for the miracle he performed in laying the first stone of the bridge.”
Pont d’Avignon is an example of an early wooden bridge spanning the Rhône built in the 1100s. After being destroyed in 1226, it was rebuilt with 22 stone arches. By the 17th century, the bridge was no longer repaired. Today four arches survive. You may not be able to tell from the photos but the bridge stops in the middle of the river!
