The Popes Who Took a Vacation (But It Wasn't Really a Vacation!)

Usually, the Pope lives in Rome, a super old city in Italy. But for a long time, from 1309 to 1376, the Popes lived in a different city called Avignon. It's in France now, but back then it was a bit complicated! Seven different Popes lived there, and they were all from France. It was like they were on a very, very long trip away from their usual home.

It all started because of a big argument between the Pope and the King of France. The King was very powerful and didn't like the Pope's decisions. Things got so heated that the Pope at the time was even arrested! After that, the next Pope, Clement V, decided it was safer and easier to move his whole home to Avignon. It was like moving your whole school because of a disagreement!

When the Popes moved to Avignon, they needed a place to live and work. They built a giant palace there, called the Palace of the Popes. It was so big, it was like a castle for the Pope and all his helpers! This palace is still there today and is a famous place to visit. It shows how important Avignon became for a while.

After 67 years, which is a super long time, Pope Gregory XI decided it was time to go back to Rome. He packed up everything and moved back. But when he died, there was another big problem. Some people didn't agree on who the next Pope should be, and this caused even more confusion! It's a reminder that sometimes, even important leaders have disagreements.