Avignon Popes
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In 1309 Pope Clement V left Rome and transferred the papal court to Avignon, where the popes remained for seventy years of strife and confusion.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Avignon Popes” mean?
In 1309 Pope Clement V left Rome and transferred the papal court to Avignon, where the popes remained for seventy years of strife and confusion.
Is “Avignon Popes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.