The Gardens at the Popes' Palace

The Papal Garden and the Palace Garden join the existing public garden the Urban V Orchard, inaugurated on 14 September 2018, to form the triptych of the Papal Palace Gardens.

There are two areas of gardens: the Palace Garden (or Benedict XII garden, 1250 m2) and the Papal Garden (662m2). The 14th-century hydraulic system was the structural basis for the layout of the Palace Gardens where large rectangles are planted with Mediterranean species attested to in the 14th century in these pontifical gardens.

The Papal Garden has a more private feel, it was directly accessible from the Papal chambers at the time. It has kept its special character, with the recreation of the famous Griffon fountain and flowering meadow all around. The celebrated, impressive Roma building, of which all that remains are traces on the ground, has been recreated as a monumental bower that will gradually be covered with vegetation. This restoration project was undertaken by the City of Avignon and Avignon Tourisme with support from the national government, the DRAC, the region Sud, the Crédit Agricole foundation and L’Occitane foundation.

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