In 1309 a French pope was elected, so the whole operation was moved to Avignon for a more "secure" place under a supportive king. Meanwhile, the Italians demanded a Roman pope, so from 1378 on there were twin popes (one in Rome and one in Avignon) which caused a schism in the Catholic Church that wasn't resolved until 1417.
This was built to accommodate 500 people...nine popes ruled from here, making this the center of Christianity for nearly 100 years.
The last pope left in 1403, but the church owned Avignon until the French Revolution in 1789...then, in the Napoleonic age, the palace was a barracks, housing 1800 soldiers..
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