Famous for its nursery rhyme, medieval bridge, and brooding Palace of the Popes, Avignon bustles and prospers behind its mighty walls. We explored all that this city with its large student population and fashionable shops has to offer today. Today is the last day of Avignon’s rollicking theatre festival which runs during the month of July and brings thousands of people into the city. Apparently if you want to come for this you have to book hotel rooms months in advance. The Place du Palais (Palace Square) is a grand square that surrounds the forbidding Palace of the Popes, Petis Palais and cathedral. In 1309, the Vatican moved the entire headquarters of the Catholic Church to Avignon when a French Pope was elected (Pope Clement V) and at the urging of the French king, His Holiness decided he’d had enough of unholy Italy! The Papal palace is quite incredible, and is the biggest surviving Gothic palace in Europe. It was built to accommodate 500 people as the administrative centre of the Vatican and home of the pope. The papacy stayed here for 68 years. The Petit Palais seals the upper end of the square and was built for a cardinal. The church to the left of the the Palace of the Popes is Avignon’s cathedral and the guilded Mary was added in 1859. On our drive home we stopped in Cairanne for their wine festival, a delightful spot perched on one of the Provençal hills where live music was performed by a variety of bands and where, separately, costumed dancers performed 18th century jigs to flute and drum beats. At 7 Euros, the price of admission was well worth it and the wine was good drinking too. Another beautiful day.
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