Description of the attraction
The Small Palace was built in 1317. It is located in the northern part of the square, opposite the Papal residence, and is named so precisely because of its modest size and importance, in comparison with the palace of the popes.
The history of its appearance is vague: according to one version - it was built for the nephew of Pope John XXII, Arnaud de Via, according to the other - it was built by Cardinal Berenger F. the Elder. After his death, the palace and the surrounding area were purchased by Cardinal Arno de Via. In 1335, De Via died and the palace did not belong to anyone until the arrival of Pope Benedict XII, who bought it again and turned it into the official residence of the Avignon archbishop.
The building was badly damaged between 1396 and 1411, as it was considered the fortified citadel of the Avignon popes. After the end of hostilities, the palace gradually fell into decay. In the second half of the 15th century, Bishop Alan de Cotivi and his follower Giuliano della Rovere (who would later become Pope Julius II) decided to restore the building and by 1503 gave it an almost original appearance. Della Rovere arrived in Avignon in 1474, as he had been appointed by his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, Bishop of Avignon. He completed the southern and western facades in the Italian Renaissance style and erected the tower in 1487 (later, in 1767, it was destroyed).
During the French Revolution, the palace became the property of the state; in the 19th century it housed a Catholic school, and later a vocational school. Only at the end of the 20th century, a museum was opened on the territory of the palace.
Since 1958, the Museum of the Middle Ages has been located here. In 1976, an art gallery of works by masters of the Renaissance was opened here. In 19 halls of the museum, in particular, works by Sandro Botticelli, Taddeo Gaddi, Taddeo di Bartolo, Lorenzo Monaco are exhibited, including the famous "Madonna" by Botticelli.
