Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A historic city in southeastern France: Avignon is a town located on the left bank of the Rhône River in the Provence region of southeastern France.
   • The seat of the papacy (1309–1378): Avignon is historically significant as the city to which the papal court moved from Rome, serving as the residence of the popes and the center of Western Christianity during that period.
   • The residence of antipopes during the Great Schism (1378–1417): Following the return of the papacy to Rome, Avignon became the seat of rival claimants to the papal throne (antipopes) during the period of division in the Catholic Church known as the Western Schism.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • We took a boat tour on the Rhône River and saw Avignon from the water.
  • The papal palace in Avignon is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • During the 14th century, Avignon was the capital of the Catholic world.

Advanced Usage

• "The Avignon Papacy": The period from 1309 to 1378 when the popes resided in Avignon rather than Rome.

  • The Avignon Papacy significantly increased the city's wealth and political influence.

• "The Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy": A term sometimes used, often critically, to refer to the Avignon Papacy, drawing a parallel with the Biblical exile of the Jews in Babylon.

  • Some historians refer to the Avignon period as the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy.

Variants and Related Words

• Avignonese (adj): Relating to the city of Avignon.
  • The Avignonese architecture from the papal period is magnificent.

Synonyms

• Papal City (historical context): A term referencing its historical role.
• The City of Popes (historical context): A common epithet for Avignon.

Related Phrases

• "Bridge of Avignon" (Pont d'Avignon): Refers to the famous medieval bridge, the Pont Saint-Bénézet, which is the subject of a popular French song.
  • The children sang "Sur le Pont d'Avignon" while dancing.

Related Idioms

• "To be in Avignon" (historical/figurative): Can imply being in a place of significant religious or political power, or sometimes, being in exile from a traditional center.
  • With the CEO moving her office to the new branch, it felt like the corporate power was in Avignon.

Noun

1. a town in southeastern France on the Rhone River; the seat of the papacy from 1309 to 1378 and the residence of antipopes during the Great Schism