This article looks at the history of fires through the misfortunes of a building that has long been presented as a Gothic anti-cathedral: the Palais des Papes in Avignon. The predominance of masonry in this construction should not overshadow the important use of wood to cover many spaces. The predominance of masonry in this construction should not obscure the important use of wood to cover many spaces. With these frameworks, fire is not far away and introduces an element of imponderability into a history that could be thought to be made up of a succession of projects (of demolition, reconstruction, alterations or additions). The Palace of the Popes in Avignon has had to suffer the ravages of fire on several occasions. The analysis of two major events: the fire of the Tower of Trouillas, which occurred in 1354, and that of the Great Chapel, in 1369, are proposed as two files rich enough to provide some elements of reflection on the origin of the disasters, the means implemented to fight the fire and the memory of the fire.The fire may have multiple origins about which the documentation provides little information. In a few cases, responsibility is clearly stated, but the accounts most often insist on the accidental nature of the disaster. If there is no mention of any surveillance, it is more than likely that the times and places of least traffic were more conducive to danger.Prevention then involves keeping combustibles as far away as possible and taking particular care in the construction of chimneys and lighting systems.The accounts are discreet on the question of prevention, but more explicit on the question of active firefighting.the number of people mobilised at the time is significant, even if the means made available to them may seem derisory. To limit the fire and slow down its progression, but also to try to extinguish it, the accounts testify to the use of isolation partitions.The range of responses that can be seen in the accounts testifies to a certain reactivity in the face of the fire, which they try to tackle as quickly as possible, to contain and isolate, even if it means doing their bit.As for the memory of the fire, we note that as long as the Palais d'Avignon was the residence of the pontiffs, the stigma of the disaster seems to be erased as quickly as possible. The aftermath of the fire thus consists of two phases: a cleaning of the premises and a restoration-reconstruction.More than the fire suffered, it is the fire "lived" that we are given to see. A fire that leaves a mark on the buildings that we still have to learn to decipher to a large extent.
L’article aborde l’histoire des incendies à travers celle d’un bâtiment longtemps présenté comme une anti-cathédrale gothique : le Palais des Papes d’Avignon.Les deux événements majeurs que furent l’incendie de la tour de Trouillas, en 1354, et celui de la Grande Chapelle, en 1369, proposent deux riches dossiers qui apportent quelques éléments de réflexion sur l’origine des sinistres, les moyens mis en œuvre pour lutter contre le feu et la mémoire de l’incendie.
