Located on the Mourgues hill in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon in the Gard department, Fort Saint-André was commissioned at the end of the 13th century by King Philippe le Bel and built in the 1360s under Jean le Bon. It was established on the banks of the Rhône opposite the papal residence of Avignon on a strategic site of the border with the Holy Roman Empire. The symbol of royal power, the fort occupied until 1792 housed a permanent garrison, a court of justice, and a prison. However, it lost part of its importance after the reunion of Provence with the Kingdom of France in 1480.