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Avignon Papacy, 1305-1403;

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The Avignon Papacy lasted from 1305-1403 when seven popes took up residence at Avignon in Provence (once an independent region - now in modern day France). The Avignon Papacy consisted of two primary stages: the first (1309-1376), when Avignon was the capital of Western Christendom due to the chaos and convulsions wrecking Italy, the second (1379-1403) when Avignon was the capital of half of Christendom and a second pope in Rome was the leader of the other half. This was not to say that the French Kings had a personal pope, the south was notoriously independent of the French Kings and the French were embroiled concurrently in the Hundred Years War with England.

Clement V, sought a safe place to reside since Rome was embroiled in brutal wars between families that formed major power blocks, moved across the Alps to the papal lands around Avignon. Popes usually spent much of their time outside of Rome, a semi-nomadic existence, and Clement V saw Avignon as a temporary residence. However, subsequent Popes saw how useful Avignon's centralized position was for their policies. The city was at a congruence of trade routes and at an important bridge over the Rhone which boded well for a prosperous economy . Also, since the Popes were French they felt that they were in a better position to try to stop hostilities between England and France and better administer the lands they used to hold as bishops in the south. However, in 1379 after Gregory XI had moved back to Rome, were he soon died, a new pope Urban VI was elected (an Italy due to the extreme fear of a massive riot of Rome's inhabitants desperate to see the Pope stay in their city). Urban Vi was such a disagreeable man that the French cardinals elected an anti-pope, Clement VII who stayed at Avignon. At this point, Avignon no longer was the center of a unified Western Christendom. The Avignon's popes, through diplomacy and war, sought to return to Rome to depose the Roman Pope. Pressured by the newly reinvigorated French kingdom, emerging from the horrors of the long war, the last Avignon pope refused to back down. The French responded by laying siege to the Papal palace/fortress forcing it's occupant from the city and power in 1403 (Benedict XII wandered around southern France and Spain for many years un-deposed but powerless and forgotten). The entire muddle was resolved (mostly) by the Council of Constance in 1415, where the compromise candidate Martin V was elected.


However, Yves Renouard does not deal with the "Western Schism" (resolved at the Council of Constance) but instead concentrates only on the seven popes who resided at Avignon. This means that the book does not cover the Council of Constance that really resolves the entire muddle. Also, the book has a definite French tilt and he seems very resolved to argue how the split actually helped the popes (the activities of the Roman popes is glossed over). This books is not supposed to be a comprehensive volume, but rather a great introduction to the subject. The editors (writing after Renouard's death) include an extensive bibliography for further reading, useful maps, and lists (with basic info) about what Pope is reining when and where (this becomes extraordinarily confusing). This is not simply a political history for Renouard looks at the papal curia, the effect of the Papacy settling in one place which led to some centralization, and most perhaps most interestingly, papal patronage of scholars and other learned men. The author occasionally skimps on the political activities when they get unduly complicated, but the book manages to achieves its stated purpose to provide a comprehensive look at the Avignon popes.