Palace des Papes - A Gothic Fortress

A 2018 RMC History Documentary narrated by David Coburn.

Deep within its ramparts, Avignon, in the department of Vaucluse in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, is home to a medieval city and structure built over 800 years ago: The Palais des Papes, or Papal Palace, the largest Gothic construction of the Middle Ages. The work on the impressive building started in 1335 on a rocky outcrop to the northwest of the city by hundreds of workers, under the authority of the best French architects of the time, Pierre Peysson and Jean de Louvres.

The majestic Palais des Papes houses exceptional frescoes, painted in 1343. Both fortress and palace, the Papal Palace is the symbol of the influence of the church on the Christian West during the 14th century. Created at the request of Pope Benoit XII and his successor Clement VI, the Palais des Papes remains to this day the largest Gothic fortress in the world in terms of area with its 15,000 m2. It includes the "old" palace of Benoit XII and the "new" palace of Clement VI. In 1309, Pope Clement V arrived in Avignon and settled in the Dominican convent of the preaching brothers. Under his pontificate, Avignon became the official residence of the Sacred College of Cardinals, under the leadership of the King of France Philippe le Bel, Philip the Fair. In 1335, the architect Pierre Peysson is in charge of the work of the new Palace of the Popes.

Work on the papal apartments began in March 1337 and from November, work on the large wing and the south wing began. The Latrine Tower was completed in July 1338 as well as the small Benoit XII tower. The decoration of the papal apartments is entrusted to the painters Hugo and Jean Dalban, the construction of the cloister begins in December 1338. The wing of the Familiars and the tower of the Campane, bell tower, begin in August 1339 and December 1339 marks the end of great works of the papal palace. The frescoes of the porch of Notre-Dame-des-Doms were entrusted in 1341 to Simone Martini, an Italian painter. Listed as a historical monument since 1840, every year over half a million people visit this majestic megastructure listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1995. To build the colossal edifice, new construction methods were invented and builders had to work day and night to erect this powerful symbol of the Church in the span of only 20 years.