ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site , ▁under ▁cultural ▁criteria ▁i , ▁ii ▁and ▁iv . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Pal ais ▁construction ▁began ▁in ▁AD ▁ 1 2 5 2 . ▁Av ignon ▁became ▁the ▁residence ▁of ▁the ▁Pop es ▁in ▁ 1 3 0 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁Gas con ▁Ber tr and ▁de ▁Goth , ▁as ▁Pope ▁Clement ▁V , ▁unw illing ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁violent ▁cha os ▁of ▁Rome ▁after ▁his ▁election ▁( 1 3 0 5 ), ▁moved ▁the ▁Pap al ▁Cur ia ▁to ▁Av ignon ▁during ▁the " Av ignon ▁Pap acy ". ▁Clement ▁lived ▁as ▁a ▁guest ▁in ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁monaster y ▁at ▁Av ignon , ▁and ▁his ▁successor ▁Pope ▁John ▁XX II ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁magnific ent ▁establishment ▁there , ▁but ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁b ish ops ' ▁palace ▁was ▁begun ▁in ▁earnest ▁by ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XII ▁( 1 3 3 4 – 4 2 ) ▁and ▁continued ▁by ▁his ▁success ors ▁to ▁ 1 3 6 4 . ▁The ▁site , ▁on ▁a ▁natural ▁rock y ▁out c rop ▁at ▁the ▁northern ▁edge ▁of ▁Av ignon , ▁over looking ▁the ▁river ▁Rh ône , ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁epis cop al ▁palace ▁of ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁of ▁Av ignon . ▁The ▁Pal ais ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁two ▁principal ▁phases ▁with ▁two ▁distinct ▁segments , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Pal ais ▁V ieux ▁( Old ▁Palace ) ▁and ▁Pal ais ▁Ne uf ▁( New ▁Palace ). ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of