Can I just tell you how very thrilling that it is to write...?
Not just to Provence, but back to Avignon...
Not alone this time either, this time, we brought along fellow adventurers, and had, well, an adventure!
The first post in this 2 part series will be on the Palais des Papes... The Palace of the Popes :)
The second, will be on our wanderings, and explorations through out the ancient city of Avignon!
We have already explored the Pont of Avignon... in a previous post, on a previous visit, the thrill of it is what brought us back!
Here lies the Palais des Papes... It is indeed one of the most significant historical Medieval Gothic buildings in all of Europe, as well as one of the Biggest! 
Did you know that "Rome" is where ever the Pope resides??? Well, seems that at one point in time it was HERE! In Avignon! In 1309, Gascon Bertrand de Goth, (aka Pope Clement V) who was really sweating the upheaval in Rome after his election, decided to pack it in, and head to Provence... YEP, moving the Papal Curia to Avignon, in the period NOW known as .... (drum roll please)
Here lies the Palais des Papes... It is indeed one of the most significant historical Medieval Gothic buildings in all of Europe, as well as one of the Biggest! Did you know that "Rome" is where ever the Pope resides??? Well, seems that at one point in time it was HERE! In Avignon! In 1309, Gascon Bertrand de Goth, (aka Pope Clement V) who was really sweating the upheaval in Rome after his election, decided to pack it in, and head to Provence... YEP, moving the Papal Curia to Avignon, in the period NOW known as .... (drum roll please)Avignon Papacy
Pope Clement V lived here before it was all snazzy, it was just a Dominican Monastery at that point, and he was their "guest"... humph
His successor Pope John XXII really got the place quite fancy, but NOT so much as Pope Benedict XII who even hired and architect by the name of Pierre Poisson of Mirepoix.
Here is the inner courtyard, isn't it lovely? It was so peaceful here, I could imagine the monks just waking around quietly... Rob is currently reading aloud to the family, (my favorite book) The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcox, in which the main characters are monks, and it really was rather fun to be here...
Well, it seems there were 3 more popes after that... and in 1377 they went back to Rome, Italy... until the "anti popes" who returned, who were exiles besieged in the palace, from 1398-1408... wow, the Drama of it all...
It seems in 1791 it saw yet more Drama, with the Massacre of Counter Revolutionaries. Many of the Fresco's were destroyed, covered over and few remain.... In 1906 palais des papes became a National Museum... I wonder if they filmed the movie Lady Hawk here... it looks so reminiscent of it!
The architecture here amazes me, i won't bore you with the hundreds of photo's I took... I took enough this weekend to fill my stick! :) I love the way the light is coming in the window, the way it lights up the whole room....
I am not the only shutter bug....
funny faces from my littlest adventurer... I love this picture :)
watchful....
the windows, simply magnificent... stained glass, so grand, so big, so bold
A door left just slightly ajar...
From a design standpoint, I comprehend these are gutter spouts.
A view from the top
There is the Pont du Avignon, do you see it?
Another view of Avignon, and the Rhone River
LOVE this picture, LOVE this smile, LOVE this girl
Look and see where I am...
Isn't this beautiful?
someone getting a cool Caspian only photo!
Can we say WEDDING venue???? hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His successor Pope John XXII really got the place quite fancy, but NOT so much as Pope Benedict XII who even hired and architect by the name of Pierre Poisson of Mirepoix.
Here is the inner courtyard, isn't it lovely? It was so peaceful here, I could imagine the monks just waking around quietly... Rob is currently reading aloud to the family, (my favorite book) The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcox, in which the main characters are monks, and it really was rather fun to be here...
Well, it seems there were 3 more popes after that... and in 1377 they went back to Rome, Italy... until the "anti popes" who returned, who were exiles besieged in the palace, from 1398-1408... wow, the Drama of it all...
It seems in 1791 it saw yet more Drama, with the Massacre of Counter Revolutionaries. Many of the Fresco's were destroyed, covered over and few remain.... In 1906 palais des papes became a National Museum... I wonder if they filmed the movie Lady Hawk here... it looks so reminiscent of it!The architecture here amazes me, i won't bore you with the hundreds of photo's I took... I took enough this weekend to fill my stick! :) I love the way the light is coming in the window, the way it lights up the whole room....
I am not the only shutter bug....
funny faces from my littlest adventurer... I love this picture :)
watchful....
the windows, simply magnificent... stained glass, so grand, so big, so bold
A door left just slightly ajar...yet the light penetrates the darkness,
so boldly...
may my faith do the same............. "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." John 1:9
From a design standpoint, I comprehend these are gutter spouts.But WHY does the Church use these gargoyles to spew out the rain water,
and decorate itself?
A view from the topThere is the Pont du Avignon, do you see it?Another view of Avignon, and the Rhone River LOVE this picture, LOVE this smile, LOVE this girl
Look and see where I am... Isn't this beautiful? someone getting a cool Caspian only photo!
Can we say WEDDING venue???? hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so amazing
did I find a fresco, NOT covered???
Caspian is up in the window!
Very Lord of the Rings... Very Lonely, echo...... soft... yet harsh... i love this room
And Jesus was born in a stable...
taking it all in...
is that rubble? Yes the Word talks about our deeds turning to rubble/ashes, the only real work we do is the work in the lives and hearts of mankind.. touching others with the Love and Truth of Christ...
The road is narrow....
may HE light our way.. and yours
did I find a fresco, NOT covered???
Caspian is up in the window!
Very Lord of the Rings... Very Lonely, echo...... soft... yet harsh... i love this roomAnd Jesus was born in a stable... so humble
yet this is so grand
taking it all in...
is that rubble? Yes the Word talks about our deeds turning to rubble/ashes, the only real work we do is the work in the lives and hearts of mankind.. touching others with the Love and Truth of Christ...The road is narrow....
may HE light our way.. and yours Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, " I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."John 8:12
2 comments:
What was Caspian doing?
You look amazing!!!
Caspian is taking after his camera crazy mama! and getting a great photo!
YOU are too kind! :)
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