| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,897,566,228 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
Avignon |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
Avignon (ävēnyôN`), city (1990 pop. 86,440), capital of Vaucluse dept., SE France, on the Rhône River. It is a farm market with a wine trade and a great variety of manufactures. Located in (but never a part of) the Comtat Venaissin, it was the papal see during the Babylonian captivity, from 1309 to 1378 (see papacy papacy , office of the pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church. He is pope by reason of being bishop of Rome and thus, according to Roman Catholic belief, successor in the see of Rome (the Holy See) to its first bishop, St. Peter.
..... Click the link for more information. ), and the residence of several antipopes from 1378 to 1408 (see Schism, Great Schism, Great, or Schism of the West, division in the Roman Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. There was no question of faith or practice involved; the schism was a matter of persons and politics. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Pope Clement VI bought (1348) full title to Avignon from the countess of Provence. After the Great Schism, Avignon was nominally ruled by papal legates, but the citizens actually governed themselves. The city became an archiepiscopal see in 1475. In 1791, after a plebiscite, it was incorporated into France. One of the loveliest of French cities, Avignon is surrounded by ramparts (12th and 14th cent.) and has many old churches. The beautiful Gothic papal palace was built (14th cent.) atop a hill to serve as residence, fortress, and church. A fragment of a 12th-century bridge across the Rhône remains. Avignon was celebrated by Petrarch, who resided at the court of Clement VI. The city has a well-known theater festival. Avignonancient AvennioCity (pop., 2004 prelim.: 89,400), southeastern France. Founded by the Gallic tribe of Cavares, it later fell under Roman rule and was a much-fought-over prize in its early days. Its status grew tremendously as the capital of the papacy (1309–77) and seat of the Avignonese popes during the Western Schism. France annexed the city in 1791. Landmarks include a Romanesque cathedral, the papal palace, and Saint-Bénézet bridge, made famous by the song “Sur le pont d'Avignon.” The city's historic centre was designated a World Heritage site in 1995. Avignon a city in SE France, on the Rhône: seat of the papacy (1309--77); famous 12th-century bridge, now partly destroyed. Pop.: 85 935 (1999) Avignon location of alternate papacy (1309–1377). [Fr. Hist.: Bishop, 376] See : Controversy Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup |
|---|