Episode
The Popes of Avignon: When the Papacy Left Rome
- Published
- Jun 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 413
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/episodes/the-popes-of-avignon-when-the-papacy-left-rome/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-story-of-italy-rome-renaissance-and-the-birth-of-modern-europe-fexingo-history-7829683/the-popes-of-avignon-when-the-papacy-left-rome.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
In 1309, Pope Clement V moved the papal seat from Rome to Avignon, a small city on the Rhône. For nearly 70 years, seven popes ruled Christendom from a palace in Provence, never setting foot in St. Peter's. This episode explores why the papacy left, how Avignon became a center of power and art, and the lasting consequences for the Church — including the Great Western Schism. We trace the role of King Philip IV of France, the pressure on the College of Cardinals, the construction of the Palais des Papes, and the return to Rome under Gregory XI. Along the way, we meet figures like Pope John XXII, the Avignonese popes' curia, and the poet Petrarch, who called Avignon a 'sewer of every vice.' This is a story of politics, exile, and the fragile authority of the medieval papacy. #AvignonPapacy #ClementV #PhilipIV #PalaisdesPapes #GreatWesternSchism #GregoryXI #JohnXXII #Petrarch #MedievalPapacy #Avignon #CatholicChurch #PapalHistory #14thCentury #Rhône #CollegeofCardinals #ChurchHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo