A famous song that features a bridge takes us into the French Provencal town of Avignon. ‘Sur Le Pont D’Avignon’: thus begins the world famous French song that is familiar with both young and old alike. It is a song of dance on the Pont Saint Énézet Bridge.

Internal disputes in addition to power struggles in Rome transformed Avignon into the new seat of the Pontificate. The impressive Popes’ Palace dominates the centre of the town. Its exterior resembles a military fortress rather than a religious residence.

A coat of arms above the main entrance is reminiscent of the papal court that was founded by Klemens The Sixth. In 1348 he bought Avignon for 80,000 gold ducats from Johanna The First, Queen of Sicily. During his term of office he added a new, more luxurious building to the Old Palace that was constructed between 1334 and 1342. The beauty of the palace manifests itself in the numerous terraces and towers that were used for defensive purposes during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Seven successive French popes transformed Avignon into one of the most glamorous medieval courts in Europe. The town’s expansion gradually became increasingly more splendid and the pontificate’s dependence on French royalty became further entrenched.