Avignon, France

Avignon is a city in Provence, which was the seat of seven Popes from the 14th to the 15th centuries. The impressive Palace of the Popes, with walls 18 feet thick, stands as the symbol of the church's power in the 14th century Christian world. The Papal Palace is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe (15,000 m2 of floor space, which is the equivalent of 4 Gothic cathedrals). The Pont Saint-Benezet, a partly ruined medieval bridge with a built-on chapel that was the only fixed Rhone River crossing below Lyon, is known through the world because it is the bridge named in the song "Sur le Pont d'Avignon". The historic Centre of Avignon (Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.