Gilpin observer., 1919-09-04

r. T is more than 20 years since l
| first saw that mighty Palace of the
Popes at Avignon which Froissart
| called "the finest and strongest
house in the world" and the most i'm
portant occurrence in that period
from the point of view of the architect
and the historian, is that in 1907 the
huge building was at last relieved from
its dangerous task of sheltering sol
diers, who cared as little for its beauty
ms for its associations writes Theodore
Andrea Cook in Country Life. 1t was,
perhaps, better to be the barracks of a
regiment than to be prison like Tar
ascon, or disintegrating ruin like
Beaucaire. But none of these three
glorious relics of Provencal history de-
served so ignominious fate. and the
department of historic monuments
earned the thanks of every scholar by
its change of policy toward these
splendid castles of the storied Rhone.
One invaluable result of clearing the
Palace of Avignon has been that fol
the first time it is possible to compare
the actual constructions of this ex-
|
preserved in the Vatican and investi-
gated by Eugene Muntz, Maurice Fau-
con and f. 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 hope that visitors will be able not
only to see the whole of the palace,
but to understand the original inten-
tion 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-
facement 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 u
memorial of dead majesty, and the
whole atmosphere of the scene Is as
different as possible from anything
you have passed on your way through
the modern town from the railway
station of the republic. The exquisite
color of the pale gold masonry-"teinte
uniforme de feuille seche," said Henri
Beyle-is one of the loveliest attributes
of the buildings of Provence, as it is
of our own Dorsetshire houses; but 1t
is the titanic strength and elemental
pride of this enormous building which
first impress themselves on the be-
holder who stands before it's ruined
western entrance gate. The huge and
bony carcass of somOe creature of the
prime, fossilized in bygone ages of the
world, and couchant still within its
ancient lair, seems brooding like some
| monstrous menace over the Valley of
the Rhone. Ruined and mutilated. as
1t is, of all Its former splendor. this
| cliff of cut stone stands stupendous
above the petty highways of our small
| er life.
The octagonal turret jutting from
the tower Immediately on your left
| Of the main entrance preserves, in its
name OF "The White Cardinal" the
memory of that humbly born Cister-
clan monk who, In December. 1885, as
sumed the title Of Benedict XII, and
really began the foundation of the
| palace as we see 1t. Two-thirds Of
the whole, at any rate. he planned (;
and his is the portion that is the sim
plest and strongest Of II all.
No marble was used anywhere In the
palace. which was wholly of French
workmanship and Provencal design,
with the square towers which mainly
dlfferentiate that school from the
roundtowered style of the French
kings which is so massively exhibited
in the contemporary Fort st. Andre
just across the river. The deeply
carved machicolations, still to be seen
here and there and originally placed
on every tower and wall. had only Just
been introduced by the end of the
fourteenth century. Those on the
great facade are the largest in the
world, sometimes two yards in length
by 1S inches deep, sufficient to hurl
down timbers that could sweep a
dozen storIning ladders Off the wall or
crush a whole company of sappers.
The only luxury observable in the
palace was to be found In it's interior