Avignon, France

Avignon, prefecture of the Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône, was the seat of seven successive popes between 1309 and 1377. The Palace of the Popes, the largest Gothic palace in the world, and the famous Pont Saint-Bénézet are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the city also hosts a major theatre festival every July. Photos taken in 2004 and 2017.