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About this episode

Multimedia look at the main city of Provence, France. Home to nine popes during the 14th century and one of the most beautiful cities in France today, Avignon is a treasure house of palaces, museums and meandering lanes, surrounded by an old fortified wall that still protects it from modernization. This city in the heart of beautiful Provence lays claim to dozens of historic monuments, especially the great Palace of the Popes which was gradually enlarged into an imposing fortification during the 60-year papal residency and is now a museum open to the public. The popes left the Vatican in Rome for political reasons and lived in Avignon from 1316 until 1377 -- the city’s golden period during which great mansions were built and the wall was constructed around the town for protection. This was a time of wild growth, with massive wealth flowing into the church coffers, some from every manner of rowdy foreigners who could pay their way into the city.

• Category

  Food & Drink

• Release Date

  Aug 12, 2008

• Runtime

  06:28