History glossary
Avignon papacy
the period when popes resided at Avignon rather than Rome, beginning in 1309.
- Category
- Institution
- Region
- Europe
- Date range
- 1309-1377
What it means
The Avignon papacy was the period from 1309 to 1377 when the popes lived at Avignon instead of Rome. Although Avignon was not formally part of the French crown, the move made the papacy appear dependent on French politics and damaged its claim to universal independence.
