Palais des Papes

The Palais des Papes in Avignon is the immense Gothic palace built for the popes who made the city the capital of Western Christendom in the 14th century. After Clement V settled in the region in 1309, his successors turned Avignon into the seat of the papacy, and between the 1330s and the 1360s two popes built the palace that still dominates the old town: Benedict XII raised the austere, fortress-like Palais Vieux, and Clement VI added the more lavish Palais Neuf. The result is one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe, and the centrepiece of Avignon's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

Inside, the rooms are largely empty of furniture, but their scale is impressive. The visit leads through the great courtyard, the cloister of Benedict XII, the vast Consistory Hall, the banqueting hall known as the Grand Tinel, and the Great Chapel. The private apartments preserve some of the finest medieval wall paintings in France: the Chambre du Cerf, Clement VI's study, is decorated with hunting and fishing scenes, and the Chapel of Saint Martial has frescoes by the Italian painter Matteo Giovannetti. Digital guides help visitors imagine the rooms as they were in the time of the popes, and the terraces offer views over the rooftops and the Rhône.

Each July the main courtyard, the Cour d'honneur, becomes the principal stage of the Festival d'Avignon, founded by Jean Vilar in 1947. The palace is busy in summer, so arriving early or booking online helps. Combined tickets with the nearby Pont Saint-Bénezet are available, and the Place du Palais in front of the building, with the cathedral and the Petit Palais, makes a natural starting point for exploring the city.