Avignon! A city where there is a bridge, and a song about the bridge. And, once, the pope lived there. Why? Let’s talk about this weird century.

1/ Avignon: it has a bridge! And a song about the bridge: “Sur le pont d’Avignon.” The bridge is medieval; the song dates from the fifteenth century: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sur_le_Pont_d%27Avignon

2/ Boniface VIII (Pope 24 December 1294–11 October 1303). He was…something. Definitely check out Dante’s thoughts!

3/ Dr. Jesse: we can all recognize that in the past there have been different times when a third party has interfered in an election…

Em: …

Em: oh my god, we recorded this in April 2024. She was talking about the 2000 election. [A lot has happened in a year. Now it could also be the NYC mayoral race!–Jesse]

4/ The episode on Catherine of Siena is number 6.

Jesse and I went to Siena at one point! I don’t remember if we saw her head. I’m guessing we did? We also saw a horse race, which means we were there on August 16, 2003? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena [That was a great Palio! There were many, many false starts, and then someone fell (or was pushed/tripped) off their horse during the race, and the neighborhood whose rider fell (or was sabotaged) definitely thought he was sabotaged, and they all stormed the track toward the neighborhood they thought pushed him, and we were standing in between the two groups. –Jesse]

5/ Episode Summary!

Avignon Papacy:

Seven popes resided at Avignon instead of Rome

WESTERN SCHISM:

*Voluntarily resigns to end schism

Antipope John XXIII* (1410–1415)

*Submitted to Martin V in Florence in 1418 and died shortly thereafter. The Medici built him a huge tomb.