Avignon Papacy

The period from 1309 to 1377 when seven successive popes resided in Avignon rather than Rome, amid strong French influence over the papacy.

Boniface VIII: Pope from 1294 to 1303 whose conflict with Philip IV of France weakened papal authority. His confrontation with the French king helped set the stage for the papal move to Avignon.
John XXII: Pope from 1316 to 1334 who expanded the papal administration and financial system at Avignon. His long pontificate consolidated Avignon as a center of government.
Roman Curia: The institutions and officials that assist the pope in governing the Catholic Church. The Curia’s operations continued at Avignon, where its reach and bureaucracy expanded.
Western Schism: A division in the Western Church from 1378 to 1417, when rival popes claimed legitimate authority. The disputed election after Gregory XI’s return turned tensions surrounding the Avignon papacy into rival obediences.
Philip IV of France: King of France from 1285 to 1314, known for asserting royal authority against the papacy. His clash with Boniface VIII and influence over the election of Clement V shaped the period’s beginning.
Benedict XII: Pope from 1334 to 1342 who built the fortified papal palace at Avignon. His palace made the papal presence in Avignon both durable and conspicuous.
Apostolic Chancery: The papal office responsible for preparing and issuing official documents. Its growing documentary workload illustrates the administrative scale of the Avignon court.
Roman Catholic Church: The largest Christian church, governed by the pope and organized around Roman Catholic doctrine and institutions. The Avignon period changed how this church was governed and perceived across Europe.
Anagni: An Italian town where agents of Philip IV confronted Pope Boniface VIII in 1303. The attack on Boniface at Anagni exposed the vulnerability of the papacy before its relocation.
Clement VI: Pope from 1342 to 1352, known for courtly patronage and purchasing Avignon from Queen Joanna I of Naples. His purchase secured the city’s status as papal territory.

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