Tue Jun 9 : AMT Day 11 [REST] Rest day in Avignon
More French castles. We took a taxi into the middle of Avignon, had some confusion about castle tour tickets, and just walked around all day.
The castle is the Palais des Papes. The Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace) in Avignon, France, is the largest Gothic palace in medieval
Europe and a historic reminder of when Avignon replaced Rome as the center of the Catholic Church. Facing political unrest and violent
chaos in Rome in the early 14th century, Pope Clement V (the first French Pope) moved the Papal Curia to Avignon in 1309.
For 68 years, seven French-born popes ruled Western Christendom from this fortress rather than from the Vatican.
Key HighlightsThe Avignon Papacy: The relocation (1309–1377) established Avignon as a mini-Vatican.
The popes returned to Rome in 1377, but the move sparked the Great Schism, during which rival "anti-popes"
continued to rule from Avignon for several decades.
Architecture: The 15,000-square-meter complex is a fusion of two palaces: the austere Old Palace (Palais Vieux)
and the extravagant New Palace (Palais Neuf).
Today, the expansive, vaulted halls and walls are adorned with intricate 14th-century frescoes by Italian master Matteo Giovannetti.
Personally, I can't get over the ostentatious displays of wealth by the Catholic Church. The difference between these palaces and the average
peasant of the middle ages is comparable to a wage slave today vs Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, or Andrew Carnegie. But the church wasn't just rich, they
stuffed it into everyone's faces telling them to just wait until after they die. Then you get your turn, or maybe burn in hell if you didn't support me. Sigh.
