Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)

This palace-fortress looms above Avignon. The immense courtyard in front, lined with cafes and restaurants, is also the impressive setting for the Avignon Festival, while the battlements offer wonderful views. The palace was built over 30 years, during the reign of three popes - Bénédict XII, Clément VI and Innocent VI. The palace is based on the fusion of two buildings - the austere 'Old Palace' (1334-42), constructed on the orders of Bénédict XII, and the extravagant Gothic 'New Palace' (1342-52), of Clément VI. It is a frowning mass of elaborate architecture, covering some 15,000 sq m (166,660 sq ft), that dominates the city's other buildings. The exterior is chilling and unfriendly, with a crenellated facade and slit windows. In contrast, the interiors are rich with the frescoes of Italian artist Matteo Giovannetti and Sienese artist Giovanni Luca, survivors of the fire that burned away many paintings and much finery in 1413. It is worth taking the audio-guide that is included in the admission price, to make sense of the maze of rooms within the palace.

Among the most beautiful is the Pope's Bedchamber. The walls are awhirl with frescoes of birds and grapevines, while the floor is covered with reproductions of the 14th-century tiles discovered beneath the nearby study of Bénédict XII, in 1963. Religious themes dominate the frescoes in the Chapelle St Martial and Pope's Antechamber, while hunting scenes decorate the Stag Room. The Grand Tinel is where the pope's banquets were held, with the pope seated on a raised platform. Gold plates and ivory cutlery were used to devour mountains of food - detailed inventories record the consumption of 118 cows, 1,023 sheep, 60 pigs, 1,195 geese, 7,428 chickens ... a total of 95,000 dishes; and all at one sitting.

A guided tour (in French only) through the ‘Secret Palace', with a chance to see St Michel Chapel and rooms that are normally closed to the public, with a convivial brunch is available every Saturday (1230) and Sunday (1030) from September to May. On the whole, however, it is best for visitors to make a trip to the Palais des Papes in the afternoon, when it is cooler and there are fewer tourists.