1317
The creation of the Enclave
When Avignon became the residence of the popes, the Papal Enclave became strategically important, and they acquired it in order to expand their power and influence to the north, via the Comtat Venaissin. In 1317 the village of Valréas was sold to Pope John XXII by the Dauphin Jean II and his father Guy, the Prince of Orange.
1791
The Enclave as part of France
Shortly after the French Revolution, in 1791, the Enclave was absorbed into the Kingdom of France. When the geographical departments of France were being defined, a referendum was proposed to the inhabitants to decide whether to be part of the Vaucluse or the Drome. Their common Provençal identity led them to choose the Vaucluse.
1968
The 650th Anniversary of the Enclave
On 25 May 1968, the Enclave celebrated its 650 years of existence with the issue of a special stamp with a face value of 60 centimes, sold in all the Post Offices of France.
The 21st century
The Enclave lives on
The marking of the boundaries of the Enclave was carried out at various times, as the Popes extended their territory: in 1324, 1414 and 1457. Twenty-two boundary markers are still in place today.
