World's largest Gothic palace
The Palais des Papes is not subtle. It looms over Avignon like it’s reminding you constantly of who was once in charge. For a stretch of the 14th century, the “who” was: the most powerful institution in the Western world.
When the papacy relocated from Rome, this was the result. The largest Gothic palace ever built. A fortress, a court, and a statement all rolled into one extraordinary structure. The scale of it still catches people off guard.
Inside, the rooms tell a layered story. Some are stripped bare – a reminder that the palace has been a barracks, prison, and ruins at various points in its life. Others still carry traces of the lavish frescoes that once covered nearly every wall.
The audioguide (the “HistoPad”) brings it to life surprisingly well. You piece together what it might have felt like when cardinals and ambassadors moved through these halls, when politics of an entire continent were being decided here.
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