The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-08-28

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
)ortant occurrence In that period.
rom the point Of view of the architect
md the historian, Is that In 1907 the
huge building was at last relieved from
is dangerous task Of sheltering SOL
Tiers, who cared as little for its beauty
rs for its associations, writes Theodore
Andrea Cook in Country Life. 1t was,
perhaps, better to be the barracks of a
regiment than to be a 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 tbe
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
Palace Of Avignon has been that fol-
the first time 1t Is possible to compare
the actual constructions of this *
raordinary building with the records
preserved in the Vatican and investi-
gated by Eugene Muntz, Maurice Eau
con and II. Ehrle. This comparison
was carried on by Felix Digonpet, the
learned guardian Of the museum at
Avignon, and when again the continent
is free ground for the curious traveller
I hope that visitors will be able not
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
cieht 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 Masslveness.
The vast and deserted e~splanade In
front Of this giant block of masonry
Is a fitting framework to so massive a
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 1t Is
of our own Dorsetshire houses; but II
is the titanic strength and elemental
pride of this enormous building which
first impress themselves on the be-
holder who stands before its 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
IL 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 1t all.
No marble was used anywhere In the
palace. which was wholly Of French
workmanship and Provencal design
with the square towers which mainl,
d~ifferentiate that school from tn,
round-towered style Of the French
kings which Is so massively exhibited
in the contemporary Fort st. AMIR,
just across the river. The deepl.
carved Manifestations, still to be sect
here and there and originally place.
on every tower and wall, had only jus
been introduced by the end OF tn,
fourteenth century. Those on the
great facade are the largest In tn,
world, sometimes two yards In lengtl
by IS inches deep. sufficient to hur
down timbers that could sweep {
dozen storming ladders OF the wall o
crush a whole company Of sappers.
The only luxury observable In TIL
palace was to be found In Its interior