The place Pie and its wild Protestant
And also
The tops
Naughty Parpaille!
A rebel
The place Pie is closely linked to Jean-Perrinet Parpaille, in the 16th century. A strange guy, who ended his life on the gallows!
He was born in Italy and was the pope councilor, working in Avignon University. A fervent catholic, who fought against Protestants. But suddenly, he changed religion, in 1562! Parpaille... probably inspired the French naughty word parpaillot, which means Protestant.
Anyway, Parpaille was pretty rebel! He wanted to give his city to enemies, and confessed his new religion in public. Then, he wanted to attack his native city of Avignon...
So he tried to besiege Châteauneuf-du-Pape, to transform the city into headquarters, where he could launch an attack. In vain... Greatly piqued, he plundered Barjol and Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres.
Condemned...
But when he came back from Lyon, in May 1562, he was arrested in Bourg-Saint-Andéol. They locked him in castle of Mondragon (Vaucluse) until the trial.
Then they translated him in Avignon, in September 1562. In this city, he was put in a cage, hanging on the current place Pie... Judged, Parpaille confessed everything. He was condemned for treason! They decapitated him on September 9th, in the morning.
They let his corpse on the gallows and, at night, they buried him in Grey Penitents cemetery... except his head: it was displayed in front of Popes' palace, with a sign saying he was a heretic and a traitor.
The place Pie
Parpaille’s house, meanwhile, was razed by a huge crowd: on the foundations, they raised the place Pie, dedicated to the pope!
The square was blessed with cannons shots on January 30th 1563. Then, in 1762, they built a market place.