Palais des Papes

A 14th-century papal palace in Avignon, Vaucluse. Both fortress and residence, it was the seat of Western Christianity while the popes lived in Avignon and is one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe.

The Palais des Papes in Avignon was built in the 14th century as a fortress and a palace for the popes, who lived in Avignon from 1309. During that century it was the seat of Western Christianity, and six papal conclaves were held within its walls.

The palace joins two buildings: the fortress-like Old Palace of Benedict XII, set on the Rocher des Doms, and the more lavish New Palace of Clement VI. It is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, and painters of the Sienese school, such as Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti, decorated it with frescoes. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.