The Papacy in the Late Middle Ages
Popes of the Schism: Avignon
The French popes of the Schism were long-lived, so we only have to chronicle two of them. They relied heavily on support of the French crown, of course, and especially Clement spent much time in trying to get his Roman opponent deposed.
Clement VII (1378-1394)
Robert of Geneva (who became Clement VII) was the son of Count Amadeus III of Savoy. Although from the beginning a careerist in the papal curia, Robert was also son of a nobleman, and saw much worldly service. He was legate to northern Italy from 1376 to 1378 where he led armies and fought a number of battles. Most notoriously, he authorized the sacking of the town of Cesena in 1377, at which four thousand citizens were massacred. As pope, Clement made the decision to return to Avignon, where he created his own papal government, appointed cardinals and bishops, and so on.
Note that this fellow is an anti-pope according to the Catholic Church. There's another Clement VII, a member of the Medici family, who was pope in the early 16th century. Different fellow altogether.
Benedict XIII (1394-1423)
Pedro de Luna, from Aragon, was elected pope by the Avignon faction. He held on to the papacy after being deposed by the Council of Constance, steadfastly condemning the council, refusing to recognize its authority, and excommunicating just about everyone in sight.
He was a tough, stubborn man who was unafraid of danger. He was pope in Avignon when it was attacked by French troops. The city itself was occupied, but the papal palace held out, and Benedict refused to flee to safety. He'd done the same in 1378 when the Roman mob was rioting after the death of Gregory XI.
Benedict's chief protector in France was Louis of Orleans. When that man was murdered in 1407, Benedict found he could not remain in Avignon, so he moved to Roussillon and then to Perpignan in southwestern France. He was deposed at Pisa in 1408 but he ignored this. He was deposed again at Constance and again ignored it.
By that time, no nation adhered to him. He again withdrew, this time to a family castle near Valencia, with a court of four cardinals. There he died, some time in early 1423.