Term used to refer to the period from 1309 to 1377 when the seat of the papacy was in Avignon, France. Pope Clement V moved his court there to avoid the constant conflicts caused by the rivaling factions of Rome and intrusions from the Holy Roman Emperor. Seven popes reigned during this period, all of French nationality. The term "Babylonian Captivity" was adopted to equate what some viewed as the captivity of the papacy by the French kings to the exile of the Jews in Babylon from the kingdom of Judea. The term also refers to Petrarch's "unholy Babylon," which he likened to the harlot of the Apocalypse. In this context, it alludes to the papacy's lavish expenditures and abuses while in Avignon.
Historical dictionary of Renaissance art. Lilian H. Zirpolo. 2008.