The Avignon papacy was the time from 1309 to 1376 this period had seven successive popes which resided in Avignon. This was a small schism in the catholic church. Avignon was located in the Kingdom of Arles which is now part of modern day France. The kingdom of Arles was part of the holy roman empire. The first Avignon pope was Clement V which was elected in 1305. He refused to move to rome and in the year of 1309 he moved his court to Avignon, where it remained for the next 67 years.

This absence from rome is sometimes referred to as the “Bablonian captivity of the papacy.

The last Avignon antipope was Benedict XIII which he lost most of his support in 1398 including that which gave the Avignon papacy most of its legitimacy, The Kingdom of France. The schism ended in 1417 at the council of Constance, after two popes had reigned in the opposition to the papacy in Rome.

In total there was 7 Avignon popes and two anti-popes

• Avignon papacy timeline

  Pope Clement V: 1305-1314

  Pope John XXII: 1316-1334

  Pope Benedict XII: 1334-1342

  Pope Clement VI: 1342-1352

  Pope Innocent VI: 1352-1362

  Pope Urban V: 1362-1370

  Pope Gregory XI: 1370-1378

  Anti-pope Clement VII 1378-1394

  Anti-pope Benedict XIII 1394-1423

Sources: Wikipedia