ed ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁cler ics ▁passion ate ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁" b elles - let tres ", ▁amongst ▁them ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁human ism , ▁Pet r arch . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁compos ers , ▁sing ers ▁and ▁mus icians ▁were ▁drawn ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁Chap el ▁of ▁the ▁Pal ais . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁that ▁Clement ▁VI ▁used ▁the ▁Mass ▁of ▁Notre - D ame ▁of ▁Guillaume ▁de ▁Mach aut , ▁there ▁that ▁Philippe ▁de ▁Vit ry ▁at ▁the ▁po pe ’ s ▁inv itation ▁presented ▁his ▁Ar s ▁Nova , ▁and ▁there ▁that ▁Johannes ▁C icon ia ▁came ▁to ▁study . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁its ▁immense ▁size , ▁the ▁Pal ais ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁place ▁where ▁the ▁general ▁organisation ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁began ▁to ▁change . ▁It ▁facil itated ▁the ▁central isation ▁of ▁services ▁and ▁the ▁adaptation ▁of ▁operations ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁suit ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁pap acy , ▁creating ▁a ▁truly ▁central ▁administration ▁for ▁the ▁Church . ▁The ▁man power ▁of ▁the ▁Cur ia ▁( Ch urch ▁administration ), ▁while ▁ 2 0 0 ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁sur pass ed ▁ 3 0 0 ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁and ▁reached ▁ 5 0 0 ▁people ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 6 . ▁To ▁this ▁were ▁added ▁over ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁lay ▁officials ▁working ▁within ▁the ▁Pal ais . ▁ ▁Despite ▁this , ▁the ▁Pal ais ▁became ▁ob sole