Symbol of the influence of the Church on the Christian West in the 14th century, the Palais des Papes of Avignon stands as the most important Gothic palace in the West with 49,212 square feet (15,000 m²) of floor area and a volume equivalent to that of four Gothic cathedrals. It was built in less than twenty years from 1335 on the initiative of two builder popes, Benedict XII (1334-1342) and Clement VI (1342)1352). With nearly 700,000 visitors a year, it is now one of the most visited monuments in France.