ABSTRACT
The papal chancery in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries had a virtual monopoly of issuing documents in the name of the pope. The vast majority of papal documents were issued not on the initiative of the curia but in response to petitions. This chapter presents a sketch of what appear to be the main elements in the development of the chancery from the late twelfth to the early fifteenth centuries. It seeks to analyse in greater detail the distinctive contribution made by the Avignon papacy to the history of the institution. The chapter briefly indicates some areas of research which remain to be done on the chancery at Avignon. In the twelfth century, the papal chancery issued two kinds of document, privileges and letters. Privileges were the most elaborate type of document and were mainly issued in favour of monasteries, on which they bestowed permanent rights or whose rights they confirmed.
