Avignon

A bird's eye view of Avignon as Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Kamijou Touma skydive into the city.

Avignon (アヴィニョン, Avuinyon^?) is a French commune (city) in southeastern France, and is bordered by the left bank of Rhône river. Often referred to as the "City of Popes" because of the Avignon Papacy, along with the Palais des Papes, it is the site of the final Catholic riots that came about because of the usage of the Document of Constantine prior to World War III, after which Academy City intervened. Because of this, the city is devastated and in ruins with most of its population displaced due to their forced evacuation.

Principles

Avignon is an old town in southern France surround by about 4 kilometers of castle walls. There are a large number of buildings crammed into the limited space in the city. In the city's golden age, it was hugely influential on the entire culture of Europe. Partially because of that, it was still one of the leading tourist spots in France.

There are stone housing complexes towering up 15 meters high in the city, making it difficult to take detours.

Background

Avignon was apparently built around the Palais des Papes or the Palace of the Popes. At the end of the 13th century, there was a dispute between the Roman Catholic Pope and the French king. And the winner of that dispute was the French king. He gained the right to order around the Pope at the time. One of his orders was for the Pope to leave his headquarters and come live in France. Thus beginning the Avignon Papacy starting in the early 14th century. According to Itsuwa, apparently the French wanted to control the Pope in order to use the various privileges and benefits the Roman Catholic Church had. Avignon was chosen as the place to imprison the Pope. And the palace the Pope was imprisoned in what is now known as Palais de Papes, and reigned there starting from 1309 up until the last one left for Rome to continue his papacy in 1376.

However, due to the fact that there are certain things that only a Pope could within the Papal States, territories under the sovereign direct rule of the Pope, such as magical devices or spiritual tools that could only be done within the Papal States. As such the the Roman Catholic Church created a magical pipeline, a sort of Vatican–Avignon pipeline, that could control the devices in the Papal States long distance.

Chronology

Document of Constantine Arc

Main article: Document of Constantine Arc

Avignon was the site of the last of the Anti-Academy City riots caused by the Document of Constantine, located in close proximity at the Palais des Papes. Following the riot and Academy City's subsequent intervention, a large part of the city was left in ruins and its residents displaced.

Notable Locations

• Palais des Papes
• Drawly Coffee
• Pont Saint-Bénezet: Although not specifically referred, it is the only logical explanation for the broken bridge in Avignon mentioned in the novel. It is a medieval bridge. It is arch-shaped stone bridge that was partially destroyed and only went partway out over the river. This is the place where Itsuwa jumped from into the river in order to save a drowning Kamijou Touma.

External Links

• Avignon (Wikipedia article)