The majestic towers of the papal Palace can be seen from any point of Avignon, one of the most interesting cities of France. The papal Palace is located in the Northern part of the city, near the Central square of Avignon, Place de l'horloge.

The papal Palace is the most famous building in the Gothic type of the middle Ages in Avignon. It is both a fortress and a Palace, the papal residence, which he began in 1309 when Pope Clement V, after the defeat of Pope Boniface VIII in conflict with the king of France, Philip IV the fair, moved to Avignon. In 1348 Pope Clement VI bought into ownership of Avignon, which belonged to the time the counts of Provence.

The Palace consists of two architectural structures: the Old Palace of Pope Boniface XII, this fortress located on inaccessible rock Rock de House, and a New Palace was built under Pope Clement VI, the Pope who, more than most of the Roman pontiffs was fond of luxury. The architecture of the New Palace is the result of joint work of the best architects of France such as Pierre Poisson and Jean du Louvre, and the greatest artists frascisco, followers of the Sienese school, Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti.

In addition, in the papal Palace of Avignon is located Papal library, which began to gather in 1318, this is the biggest library in Europe of that era. Here are the most rare works of art of the greatest masters. The papal library gave the world new names that we know how the names of great artists. So, for example, by order of Pope Clement VI, the selection of works for the library here did Francesco Petrarch, marked the beginning of humanism.