Elected pope in 1305 in Perugia, Italy, through the manipulation of King Philip IV of France, Clement V spent much of his pontificate attempting to appease the king, who pressured the pope to dissolve the Knights Templar, a powerful and wealthy military religious order of knighthood. After Philip accused the Templars of heresy, Clement arranged for a council to meet at Vienne, Dauphiné, in order to settle the issue. In anticipation of this council, he chose Avignon, France, as the papal residence, moving there in 1309. The papacy remained in Avignon until 1377. This period became known as the Avignon papacy.
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