Another photo from yesterday’s trip to Avignon. This one is of the “Palais des Papes” -- the palace of the popes. Indeed, from 1309 to 1377, seven different popes (not so coincidentally all French-speaking) resided in Avignon in this very palace. This came about because French kings were less and less willing to have the popes impose their will in anything other than clerical matters. This turned into cooperation when the newly elected Pope Clement V, a Frenchman, refused to move to Rome and set up his court in Avignon where the papacy remained until 1376 when Gregory XI moved back to Rome. Actually, it’s a bit more complicated than that but too long for a blog entry. Instead, interested readers may consult this Wikipedia entry.