Avignon is the capital city of Vaucluse, a department in south-eastern France in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. It is situated on the left bank of the River Rhône and was for centuries one of the major artistic centres of Europe. Its medieval walls enclose this ancient cathedral city which is also known as the City of Popes, being the residence of popes escaping from Rome during the “Great Schism” of the Catholic faith in the 14th Century.