The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1919-09-18

|
| ropes at AvignOn which FrOiSSart
! called "the finest and strongest
| mouse in the world and the most i'm
| portant occurrence in that period,
| from the point of view of the architect
ana the historian, is that in 1907 the
huge building was at last relieved from
us dangerous task of Sheltering sol
diers, who cared as little for its beauty
rs for its associations, writes Theodore
Andrea Cook in Country Life. IT was.
perhaps, better to be the barracks of q
regiment than to be prison like Tar
ascon, or a disintegrating ruin like
Beaucaire. But none of these three
glorious relics of Provencal history de-
served so ignOminiOuS a fate. and the
department Of historic monuments
earned the thanks of every scholar by
its change of policy toward these
splendid castles of the stored RhOne.
One invaluable result of clearing the
falace of AyignOn has been that for
the first time it is possible to compare
the actual constructions of this OK
GaOrdinary building with the records
preserved in the Vatican and investi-
gated by Eugene Muntz, Maurice Eau
con and +. Ehrle. This comparison
was carried on by Felix Digonnet. the
learned guardian of the museum at
Avignon, and when again the continent
Is free ground for the curious traveller
L homo vi will
only to see the whole of the palace.
but to understand the original inten-
ton of its builders, and to realize the
skill and care with which all the an
cient masonry is being preserved or
reproduced after the century of de-
Placement and neglect which followed
the most deliberate vandalism of the
Revolution.
Color and Massiveness.
The vast and deserted esplanade In |
front of this giant block of masonry |
is fitting framework to so massive q |
memorial of dead majesty, and the |
whole atmosphere of the scene is 70
inherent as possible from anything
you have passed on your way through i
the modern tows from the railway
station Of the republic. The exquisite
color of the pale gold masonry-"teinte
nniforme de feuille seche," said Henri
oeyle-is one of the lOveliest attributes
Of the buildings of Provence, as it is
II our own DOrSetShire houses; but ii
s the titanic strength and elemental
bride of this enormous building which
lrst impress themselves on the be-
holder who stands before its ruined
western entrance gate. The huge and
ony carcass of sOmoe creature of the
rhine, fossilized in bygone ages of the
World, and couchant still within its
ncient lair, seems brooding like some
nonstrous menace over the Valley Of
ne RhOne. Ruined and mutilated, as
is, OF all its former splendor, this
lif Of cut stone stands stupendous ,
Dove the petty highways of our small !
r life.
The octagonal turret jutting from ,
ne tower Immediately on your left 6
L the main entrance preserves. in its ,
anne OF The White Cardinal" the ,
lemory of that humbly born Cister- ;
ian monk who, in December, 1885, as '
lmed the title Of Benedict XII. and
eally began the foundation of the !,
aiace as we see it. Two-thirds of =
he whole, at any rate, he planned: q
nd his is the portion that is the SIM O
lest and strongest of it all. =
No marble was used anywhere in the v
alace, which was wholly of French A
craftsmanship and PrOvencal design. O
I'm the square towers which mainly
nerentiate that school from the y
style of the French y
ngs which is so massively exhibited n
the contemporary Fort st. Andre q
st across the river. The deeplv b
rved manifestations, still to be seen -
re and there and originally placed ~
every tower and wall, had only lust q,
zen introduced by the end of the =,
century. Those on the 9,
eat facade are the largest In the ir
orid, sometimes two yards in length D
Is inches deep, sufficient to hurl h;
wn timbers that could sweep a r.
zen storming ladders off the wall or -
lsh whole company of sappers. d1
The only luxury observable in tho hi
lace was to be found in its interior 81