The councillors' duty was to watch over the material and financial interests of the city but their resolutions had to be submitted to the vice-legate for approval before being put in force. The two branches are separated by an island, the Île de la Barthelasse. Similarly, to irrigate the gardens of the wealthy south of Avignon, the Puy Canal was dug (1808). [f], Invasions began and during the inroads of the Goths it was heavily damaged. In September 1947 the first edition of the future Avignon Festival was held. The schools within the commune of Avignon are administered by the Académie d'Aix-Marseille. [5] With the arrival of the Roman legions in 120 BC. The 7th and 8th centuries were the darkest period in the history of Avignon. The city was especially detested by Italians of the papal court in Avignon. With the German rulers at a distance, Avignon set up an autonomous administration with the creation of a consulat in 1129, two years before its neighbour Arles. The papal territory suffered the depredations of the routiers (private armies that lived by pillage between mercenary engagements during the Hundred Years’ War). [6] It acquired the status of Roman colony in 43 BC. The current name dates to a pre-Indo-European[3] or pre-Latin[4] theme ab-ên with the suffix -i-ōn(e). The Celtic tribes named it Auoention around the beginning of the Christian Era. a department of the papal Curia which resided in Rome), with the Cardinal Secretary of State as presiding prefect, who exercised their jurisdiction through the vice-legate. The Archdiocese of Avignon had canonic jurisdiction over the department of Vaucluse and was an archdiocese under the bishoprics of Comtadins Carpentras, Cavaillon, and Vaison-la-Romaine.[30]. Once Rovere was made a cardinal he withdrew his troops from the city. The banks of the Rhone and the Île de la Barthelasse are often subject to flooding during autumn and March. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France. Despite repeated calls by St. Catherine of Siena and others for the popes to return to Rome, Avignon remained the sole capital of the church until 1377 and remained one of the residences of the papacy during the Great Schism (1378–1417), when popes ruled in Avignon and Rome. The Cristole area is contiguous and both have a little less than a hundred establishments. [38] On 25 July General Carteaux appeared before the city and it was abandoned the next day by the troops of General Rousselet[39] as a result of a misinterpretation of orders from Marseille.[40]. After the division of the empire of Charlemagne, Avignon came within the Kingdom of Arles or Kingdom of the Two Burgundies, and was owned jointly by the Count of Provence and the Count of Toulouse. [6] The inhabitants of the commune are called avinhonencs or avignounen in both standard Occitan and Provençal dialect. "The cantons of Bonnieux, Apt, Cadenet, Cavaillon, and Pertuis are classified in zone Ib (low risk).