Amazing Avignon and the popes palace

Ancient Avignon has an amazing history as does so many of the towns of the Rhône Valley we have been traveling. In the early 1300s the politics and squabbling of Italian city states got so bad that the papacy decided to move its capital. The thriving fortress town of Avignon France was chosen. From 1304 to 1377 the popes built a beautiful cathedral complex with several smaller cathedrals inside the town. The architect over the years was spared from the major destruction of European wars including WW11. The move to France angered the English and German Catholics who often had wars with France. Finally it was decided to move back to the Vatican in Italy in 1377 and a new pope was elected and the rest is church history. Enjoy the pictures.Read more