Avignon

Avignon (Avenio), a city of Provence, capital of the French department of Vaucluse, is situated on the left bank of the Rhône, 75 miles NW. of Marseilles. With narrow, crooked streets, 'windy Avignon' still is encircled by lofty crenellated walls (1349-68), except on the north side, where the Rocher des Doms rises steeply from the Rhône to a height of 200 feet. Here is the cathedral of Notre Dame, dating from the 11th century, with its papal throne, and monuments of two popes; whilst hard by towers the vast palace of the popes (1339-64). The multitude of churches and convents made Rabelais call Avignon la ville sonnante, 'the city of bells;' and churches there still are in plenty, though that of the Cordeliers, with the tomb of Petrarch's Laura, was demolished in 1791. Near the hôtel-de-ville (1862) are the quaint old Jacquemart belfry and a statue of Crillon, Henry IV.'s brave captain; Petrarch's statue (1874) may also be noticed. The city is the seat of an archbishop, has a museum and picture-gallery, and several other valuable institutions. The university, founded in 1303, was abolished in 1794. Avignon has manufactures of paper, leather, silk, iron, &c., and is famous for its garden produce, its fruit, wine, honey, &c. The country about Avignon is delightful, and extremely fruitful in corn, wine, olives, oranges, and lemons. Pop. (1872) 38,196; (1891) 37,500. In Avignon, Petrarch spent several years; here, in the church of St Clara, he first saw Laura. Vaucluse, which he has immortalised, lies 18 miles from Avignon. Avignon was the capital of the ancient Cavares, and presents many remains of the times of the Romans. In the middle ages, it formed, with the surrounding district, a county, which the popes, who had already received the county of Venaissin as a gift from King Philip III., bought in 1348 from Joanna, queen of Naples and Countess of Provence. The pope governed both counties through a vice-legate, and continued in the possession of them till 1790, when, after several stormy and bloody scenes, the city with its district was united with France. At the peace of Tolentino (1797), the pope formally resigned Avignon and Venaissin. Avignon is celebrated in ecclesiastical history as being for a time the residence of the popes. By order of Philip IV. of France, Pope Clement V. and six of his successors from 1309 to 1377, were obliged to reside there. It was afterwards (1378-1418) the residence of the French antipopes. Two ecclesiastical councils were also held at Avignon (1326-37). A little cottage here was long the loved retreat of John Stuart Mill, the place where he died in 1873. Here, too, is a monument (1882) to the mechanician, De Girard.