At the far end of the Square of the Popes' Palace, the elegant silhouette of the Petit Palais creates a counterpoint to its imposing neighbour.
It was the palace of the archbishops of Avignon. With Pope John XXII living in the former archbishops' palace, his nephew Arnaud de Via began the construction of a new episcopal palace in 1314. The façade, in renaissance style, dates from the end of the 15th century; it was done by the archbishop of Avignon, Julien de la Rovère, the future Julius II, warrior pope and patron of the Arts, who was one of the great names of the Renaissance.
