The biggest Gothic Palace
A series of nine popes resided in Avignon in the 14th century. The Palais des Papes, an imposing fortress and luxurious palace, is the main testimony of their presence in the city. It is a symbol of the power of Christendom and of the temporal and spiritual authority of the papacy at that period.
25 rooms and sites open to the public for guided or non-guided visits
The visit is a chance to see the great staterooms, the scene of ceremonies and banquets, the chapels with their painted decor, the pope’s private apartments, and the terraces with their wonderful views over the city of Avignon and the River Rhone. The priceless paintings in the chapels and the pope’s private apartments have been preserved, bearing witness to the innovative work of the French and Italian schools.
The visit is enriched by museum facilities and completed by the multimedia visit using the «histopad»: information totems, models, illustrations, archaeological objects, reproductions, etc.
The histopad at the Palais des Papes
Go back in time: a digital guide for an immersive visit
HistoPad
With the HistoPad you can experience a virtual visit to the 9 main rooms in the palace, which have been re-imagined using virtual reality.
Audioguides enriched with musical illustrations introduce the sites and their functions, while captions describe the reconstituted pieces of furniture, artistic objects and decorative elements. Users can zoom in on the objects and decors to see the tiniest details.
Available in 7 languages.
Included in the price of admission to the Palais des Papes
Geolocation all through the visit
The HistoPad starts automatically when you enter a room thanks to a system of geolocation beacons.
Visitors can use animated maps to guide them, organise their visit and show them their position.
A fun, interactive treasure hunt for young people
A fun activity for children is on offer using immersive views to develop their curiosity and bring the visit to life. Each reconstituted room contains a virtual object concealing a coin stamped with the portrait of the popes.
Open the secret hiding place in a chest, pick up the pope’s fine dishes on a dresser, examine a table nef…
The young players can enjoy an interactive and educational activity with a surprise reward at the end.
The Gardens at the Popes’ Palace
The Gardens at the Palace of the Popes have only recently re-opened and are a new feature of the visit. The gardens provide visitors with a relaxing space and add to a deeper understanding of the entire Palace.
The Papal Garden and the Palace Garden join the existing public garden the Urban V Orchard, inaugurated on 14 September 2018, to form the triptych of the Papal Palace Gardens.
There are two areas of gardens: the Palace Garden (or Benedict XII garden, 1250 m2) and the Papal Garden (662m2). The 14th-century hydraulic system was the structural basis for the layout of the Palace Gardens where large rectangles are planted with Mediterranean species attested to in the 14th century in these pontifical gardens.