Saint-John’s Tower

The Saint-Jean tower, a vestige of the Livrée de Florence in Avignon

On Place Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, in the heart of a lively district, stands a remarkable vestige: the Saint-Jean tower, which comes to us from the sixteenth century. The Avignon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this tower, a former witness of the cardinals' residences of the city of the Popes.

A tower of the Livrée de Florence

The Saint-Jean tower, which dates from the sixteenth century, was once part of the Livrée de Florence, a building occupied by cardinals of Avignon. The livrées were the residences of the cardinals at the time when the papacy sat in the city. A vestige of this prestigious past, the tower stands on Place Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, near Place Pie, in a very busy area of the centre.

What to see

You admire the Saint-Jean tower, a vestige of the Livrée de Florence, which stands in the middle of a lively district, near Place Pie and the Halles. The tower recalls the era when the cardinals resided in Avignon. It is a stop for lovers of history and medieval heritage, in the heart of the city.

Practical information

The Saint-Jean tower lies on Place Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, near Place Pie, in the heart of Avignon, reachable on foot. It is a vestige that you observe from the public space; its outline can be freely admired from the square. The place is discovered during a walk in the lively district of the Halles.

What was the Livrée de Florence in Avignon?

It was a building occupied by cardinals of Avignon; the livrées were the residences of the cardinals in the papal era. The Saint-Jean tower is a vestige of it.

Where is the Saint-Jean tower?

On Place Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, near Place Pie, in the heart of Avignon.