The following is a

timeline A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...

of the

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

of the city of

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

in southern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Prior to 14th century

* 4th–5th century AD - Diocese of Avignon established. * 500 -

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

regulus,

Clovis I Clovis (; reconstructed Old Frankish, Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first List of Frankish kings, king of the Franks to unite all of the Franks under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a ...

besieges the city during the Franco-Visigothic Wars, but is convinced to abandon the siege. * 508 - Wandill, a lieutenant of

Theoderic the Great Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal, was king of the Ostrogoths (475–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy between 493 and 526, regent of the Visigoths (511–526 ...

, king of the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...

, makes Avignon his headquarters. * 581 - Mummolus in Avignon resisted siege by the Austrasian Guntram Boso. * 591 - Outbreak of plague. * 599 - Outbreak of plague. * 730 -

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

s in power. * 737 - Town falls to the

leader

Charles Martel Charles Martel (; – 22 October 741), ''Martel'' being a sobriquet in Old French for "The Hammer", was a Franks, Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of ...

after a siege. * 739 - Saracens retake town. * 1054 - Great Schism breaks apart the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

, of which the Diocese of Avignon belongs to the former and will play an important role for the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

in coming centuries. * 1080 - Catholic Council of Avignon held. * c. 1129 - Beginning of the ''Commune'', a period when Avignon was self-governing. Provence was divided between three families:

Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer III ''the Great'' (11 November 1082 – 23 January or 19 July 1131) was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1086 (jointly with Berenguer Ramon II and solely from 1097), Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and cou ...

, William III of Forcalquier and

Alfonso Jordan Alfonso Jordan, also spelled Alfons Jordan or Alphonse Jourdain (1103–1148), was the Count of Tripoli (1105–09), Count of Rouergue (1109–48) and Count of Toulouse, Margrave of Provence and Duke of Narbonne (1112–48). Life Alfonso was t ...

(

Count of Toulouse The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the Frankish kings, the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding county from the late 9th century until 12 ...

). * 1185 -

Pont Saint-Bénézet The Pont Saint-Bénézet (; Provençal: ), also known as the Pont d'Avignon (), was a medieval bridge across the Rhône in the town of Avignon, in southern France. Only four arches survive. An early wooden bridge spanning the Rhône betwee ...

(bridge) completed (traditional date). * c. 1220 - a second set of city walls constructed outside the earlier walls. * 1226 - Town falls to

Louis VIII of France Louis VIII (5 September 1187 8 November 1226), nicknamed The Lion (), was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As a prince, he invaded Kingdom of England, England on 21 May 1216 and was Excommunication in the Catholic Church, excommunicated by a ...

after a three-month siege during the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade (), also known as the Cathar Crusade (1209–1229), was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, what is now southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted pri ...

. * 1251 - Convention of Beaucaire and the end of the ''Commune'', the two brothers of

Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis ...

Alphonse of Poitiers Alphonse (11 November 122021 August 1271) was the Count of Poitou from 1225 and Count of Toulouse (as such called Alphonse II) from 1249. As count of Toulouse, he also governed the Marquisate of Provence. Birth and early life Born at Poissy, A ...

and

Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...

, take control of the town. * 1290 - Charles II of Anjou becomes the sole seigneur of the town.

14th century

* 1303 -

University of Avignon A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

founded. * 1309 -

Pope Clement V Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...

moves to Avignon at the start of the

Avignon Papacy The Avignon Papacy (; ) was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now part of France) rather than in Rome (now the capital of ...

. * 1334 -

Papal conclave A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church. Concerns around ...

in Avignon elects Pope Benedict XII. * 1335 - Construction of the

Palais des Papes The ( English: Palace of the Popes; ''lo Palais dei Papas'' in Occitan) in Avignon, Southern France, is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was a seat of We ...

begins under Pope Benedict XII. * 1348 **Avignon bought by

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI (; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death, in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Black Death (1 ...

from Joanna, countess of Provence for 80,000 florins. **

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

kills perhaps half the population of the town. * 1355 - Avignon menaced by bands of mercenaries. * c. 1357 - Construction of the

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

begins. * 1367–1370 -

Pope Urban V Pope Urban V (; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death, in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the only Avignon pope ...

in Rome. * 1376 -

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI (; born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death, in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pope. In 1377, ...

leaves Avignon for Rome at the end of the Avignon Papacy. * 1378 -

Western Schism The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Great Occidental Schism, the Schism of 1378, or the Great Schism (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 20 September 1378 to 11 November 1417, in which bishops residing ...

begins with

Antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva (; 1342 – 16 September 1394) was elected to the papacy as Clement VII () by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI and was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election led to the Western Schism. The son of ...

in Avignon and

Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI (; ; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (), was head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death, in October 1389. He was the last pope elected from outside the College of Cardinals. His pontificate be ...

in Rome.

15th century

* 1408 -

Antipope Benedict XIII Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor (25 November 1328 – 23 May 1423), known as () or Pope Luna, was an Aragonese nobleman who was antipope with the regnal name Benedict XIII during the Western Schism. Early life Pedro Martínez de Lu ...

escapes from Avignon. * 1417 - Western Schism ends with the election in Rome of

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V (; ; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Oddone Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. His election effectively ended the We ...

. * 1475 - Diocese of Avignon elevated to an archdiocese. * 1479–1488 - City walls repaired and remodelled with the reduction in the number of gates from twelve to seven. The work was initiated by Archbishop Giuliano della Rovere who subsequently became

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II (; ; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death, in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope, the Battle Pope or the Fearsome ...

. * 1481 - Avignon becomes an enclave when

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

becomes part of France with the death of Charles II, Count of Provence.

16th century

* 1517 - Italian scholars Sannazar de Ripa and André Alciat arrive to teach at the University of Avignon. * 1561 -

Pope Pius IV Pope Pius IV (; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered itself a b ...

sends his cousin, Fabrizio Serbelloni, to organise the defence of the town against the

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

during the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

(1562–1598). * 1564 - Jesuit college established in the town. * 1580 - Outbreak of plague.

17th century

* 1662–1663 - Opening of three city gates that had been walled up during the Wars of Religion. The gates were: Porte de la Ligne, Porte de l'Oulle and the Porte Saint-Roch. * 1662–1664 - Annexation of Avignon by

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

. * 1669 - Pont Saint-Bénézet abandoned. * 1688–1689 - Annexation of Avignon by Louis XIV of France.

18th century

* 1753 - Work begins to remove a section of the Rocher des Doms to widen the

towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, Working animal, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mod ...

along the Rhône. * 1755 - Severe flooding with more than three quarters of the town under water. * 1768–1774 - Annexation of Avignon by

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

. * 1791 ** 14 September - Avignon and the

Comtat Venaissin The (; ; 'County of Venaissin'), often called the for short, was a part of the Papal States from 1274 to 1791, in what is now the region of Southern France. The region was an enclave within the Kingdom of France, comprising the area aroun ...

declared part of France during the French Revolution. ** Massacres of La Glacière * 1792 - Avignon becomes part of the

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...

souveraineté. * 1794 - Montfavet becomes part of Avignon. * 1796 - Archives départementales de Vaucluse established. * 1797 - 19 February -

Treaty of Tolentino The Treaty of Tolentino was a peace treaty between Revolutionary France and the Papal States, signed on 19 February 1797 and imposing terms of surrender on the Papal side. The signatories for France were the French Directory's Ambassador to the H ...

in which

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...

formally cedes control of Avignon to France.

19th century

* 1800 - Population: 21,412. * 1801 ** Canton of Avignon-Nord and Canton of Avignon-Sud created. ** Lycée d'agriculture, des sciences et des arts founded. * 1802 - Chamber of Commerce established. * 1811 - Calvet Museum established. * 1815 -

Guillaume Brune Guillaume Brune, 1st Count Brune (, 13 March 1764 – 2 August 1815) was a French military commander, Marshal of the Empire, and political figure who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Early life Brune was b ...

assassinated. * 1819 - Construction completed of a wooden bridge across the Rhône. * 1822 - Cimetière Saint-Véran (cemetery) established. * 1823 - Demolition of the 10th century

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

Convent of Saint-Laurent to make way for a new theatre and to enlarge the Place de l'Horlorge. The convent had been unoccupied since the

revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

. * 1825 - Théâtre Municipal opens on the Place de l'Horloge. * 1828 - ''L'Écho de Vaucluse'' begins publication. * 1840 - Severe flooding in the town. * 1843 - Suspension bridge opens linking Avignon to the Île de la Barthelasse. * 1844–1845 - Demolition of the 14th century cardinal's palace, la livrée d'Albano, except for the Jacquemart tower, to make way for the construction of a new Hôtel de Ville. * 1847 - Théâtre Municipal/Opéra d'Avignon rebuilt. * 1849 **Railway line linking Avignon with Marseille opened. **Société d'agriculture founded. * 1852 - Final demolition of the Dominican monastery north of the rue d'Annanelle (Le couvent des Dominicains or des Frères prêcheurs) with its large 14th century church. The monastery had been established in 1220 but had been converted into a foundry during the Revolution. * 1854 ** Railway line linking Avignon with Paris opened. **

Cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

epidemic strikes the town. * 1856 - Severe flooding in the town and the collapse of a section of the city walls. * 1856 - Hôtel de Ville completed. * 1860 - Gare d'Avignon-Centre (train station) built. * 1870 - Morières-lès-Avignon splits from Avignon to form its own commune. * 1881 - ''Le Radical de Vaucluse'' newspaper begins publication. * 1896 - Demolition of the 14th century city gate, La Porte Limbert. * 1899 ** begins operating. ** and Société avignonnaise des concerts symphoniques founded.

20th century

* 1901 - Population: 43,453. * 1909 - A stone bridge, the Nouveau Pont, replaces the wooden bridge across the Villeneuve branch of the Rhône. * 1913 - AC Arles-Avignon (football club) formed. * 1925 - Le Pontet is split from Avignon to form a separate commune. * 1929 - Société d'étude des sciences naturelles de Vaucluse founded. * 1935 - Serious flooding of the town by the Rhône. * 1937 - Avignon-Caumont Aerodrome established. * 1944 **27 May - Bombs dropped by American aircraft on the south of the town destroy railway lines, some industrial buildings and 600 houses. There are 500 dead and 800 injured. ** 25 June - Bombs damage the railway viaduct across the Rhône, the suspension bridge, the goods yard of the station and the rue de la République. * 1947 -

Festival d'Avignon The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival (), is an annual arts festival held in the France, French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by ...

begins. * 1973 - Canton of Avignon-Est and Canton of Avignon-Ouest created. * 1975 **

Parc des Sports (Avignon) Parc des Sports may refer to the following: * Parc des Sports Aguiléra, a multi-purpose stadium in Biarritz, France * Parc des Sports (Annecy), a multi-use stadium in Annecy, France * Parc des Sports (Avignon), a multi-purpose stadium in Avignon, F ...

(stadium) opens. ** Population: 90,786. * 1979 - (transit entity) in operation. * 1982 - Avignon becomes part of the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. * 1984 **

Avignon Film Festival {{unreferenced, date=November 2021 The Avignon Film Festival (created 1984), also known as the Avignon/New York Film Festival or Rencontres Cinématographiques Franco-Américain d'Avignon, took place every year in Avignon, France along with a twin ...

begins. ** Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse created. * 1986 - Archives Municipales d’Avignon (city archives) established. * 1997 - Main campus of the Université d’Avignon (Campus Hannah Arendt), established on the site of the former Hôpital Sainte-Marthe.

21st century

* 2001 ** Gare d'Avignon TGV (train station) opens. ** Agglomeration community Grand Avignon (regional government) created. * 2003 - Flooding of the Île de la Barthelasse and parts of the town by the Rhône. * 2006 - Population: 90,800. * 2009 - Vélopop' bikeshare begins. * 2013 - (train) begins operating. * 2014 - Cécile Helle becomes mayor. * 2024 - Internationally acclaimed Mazan rapes trial is held in the city for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-defendants, with all 51 defendants receiving convictions.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * {{refend

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