Provins, France

Provins is a French commune with 11,844 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region. It is the administrative seat of the Arrondissement Provins and the Canton of Provins. It is a member and seat of the Communauté de Communes du Provinois and is located on the Voulzie River.

 

Geography

Location

The town is located in the southeast of the department of Seine-et-Marne, about 49.4 kilometers east of Melun. The city is also located 90 kilometers south-east of Paris (Porte de Bercy) by road, 98 kilometers by rail while in orthodromic distance (as the crow flies), it is only 77 kilometers from Paris-Notre-Dame.

 

Neighboring municipalities

The neighboring towns are Rouilly, Chalautre-la-Petite, Mortery, Poigny, Saint-Brice, Sourdun and Vulaines-lès-Provins.

 

Geology and relief

On the Briard plateau, Provins is built around a promontory, at the confluence of the Voulzie valley and that of Durteint.

 

History

Provins is first mentioned in a document in 802, but is probably much older. However, the first military fortifications also date from this time. Since Provins was at the crossroads of important trade routes (north-south and east-west), one of the largest markets in the country took place here in the Middle Ages (especially 9th to 13th centuries). What happened in the Grange aux Dîmes can still be seen today. The city was then under the protection of the Counts of Champagne.

 

Landmarks

Civil heritage

The city has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 2001.

Provins is famous for its medieval fortifications. The enclosure of the upper town, 1,200 meters long and comprising 22 towers of varying geometries, was built from 1226 to 1314. It remains today the best preserved part, thanks in particular to several recent phases of restoration, and participates greatly to the tourist attraction of the city. Regarding the part in the lower town, it has suffered the onslaught of time but remains visible in certain places, along the false river.

Tour César 12th century: only octagonal keep with a square base; it is built on an artificial mound.
The underground passages: the basement of the old town is full of medieval underground passages that can be visited, and which constitute a point of articulation in the development of Umberto Eco's novel, Le Pendule de Foucault, with the other curiosity tourist attraction that is the tithe barn. Originally, these were quarries whose materials were used to make wool (the city of Provins, in the Middle Ages, was an important cloth city). From these quarries, a clay called "fuller's earth" was extracted, which made it possible to degrease the wool: fuller's earth served a bit like soap. To impregnate the cloth with it, it had to be trampled under foot: hence the name given to this clay. The earth was also used to fill in the marshes that were at the location of the current lower town. The undergrounds then served as warehouses for merchants during the fairs of the Middle Ages. In the 18th and 19th centuries, certain parts of the underground passages would have served as clandestine meeting places for the Freemason lodge of Provins, or for various groups (heretics or against royalty) during the repressive period of the Second Empire. Traces of this use can be seen on the underground walls, in the form of dated graffiti or esoteric drawings.
The tithe barn is a 12th century merchant's house. During major fairs, it was used as a storage place. It has now been transformed into a museum, and different scenes recreate daily life in the Middle Ages, through different trades (merchant, stonemason, etc.).
Romanesque house: surely the oldest house in Provins (10th or 11th century), it houses the Provinois museum.
Notre-Dame-du-Val tower, rue Vieille Notre-Dame (1544).
Hostellerie de la Croix d'Or: the oldest hostelry in France (currently a restaurant). The facade has remained unchanged since its construction (from 1264 to 1270).
Hôtel du Vauluisant (13th century).
The Old Baths, now called La Demeure des Vieux Bains, are the oldest bathing place in Provins (13th century). In 1256, the place consisted almost only of old stones; in 1309, it was Louis le Hutin who had many improvements made there: paving of the baths with stones from Paris, installations of furnaces, boilers and ovens... The place became an important place in Provins, where many come together to enjoy the curative values attributed to it; it reached its peak in 1311. Towards the end of the 15th century, however, doctors began to spread the idea that baths were harmful to the body: this was the end of the myth of the Fountain of Youth. Today, Les Vieux Bains, after their renovation in 2004, is called La Demeure des Vieux-Bains, and has become a place of hospitality and luxury (4 ears of corn guest rooms, seminars, weddings, etc.).
The Caveau du Saint-Esprit is a former hospital created by Count Henri-le-Libéral at the end of the 12th century.
The count's chapel of Provins.

 

Religious heritage

Saint-Quiriace collegiate church, place Saint-Quiriace (12th century);
The Sainte Croix church, rue Sainte-Croix;
Saint-Ayoul church, former Saint-Ayoul priory, place Saint-Ayoul;
The Cordelières convent, rue André-François Poncet, with its cloister, chapel and chapter house;
Rue Saint-Thibault, an old forced and perilous climb to Châtel;
Remains of the Saint-Thibault church, rue Saint-Thibault;
Former commandery of Val-de-Provins;
The chapel of the Hôtel Dieu, rue Saint-Thibault;
The chapel of the Sainte-Croix high school, rue des Jacobins;
The reformed Protestant temple, place du Châtel.
The former Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Jacques, founded in 1157 by Henry I of Champagne

 

Environmental heritage

The rose garden of Provins presents three hectares rehabilitated since 2008 at the foot of the upper town. An exhibition of old building tools and folk art is also presented there. A bookstore offers books on companionship and trades and tools. The rose has been associated with the history of Provins since the Middle Ages, when Thibaud IV of Champagne, returning from a crusade, would, according to tradition, bring a variety of Rosa gallica to Provins in the middle of the 13th century. Rosa gallica, the rosebush of France, is also called "rosebush of Provins".

 

Culture

Many shows on the medieval theme take place all year round in Provins:
the eagles of the ramparts: equestrian falconry show;
the legend of the knights: show of chivalry in the ditches of the ramparts;
the medieval: medieval festival, street entertainment, craftsmen, parade;
sound and light: historical night show that evokes the hours of joy and sorrow in the Middle Ages, show designed, produced and directed by volunteers.

The harvest festival (succeeding the medieval festival which took place in June) testifies to the cultural richness of the Provinois country. It is celebrated on the last Sunday of August, and formerly marked the end of the wheat harvest, an important production in the country of Brie champenoise - even if today corn, beetroot and rapeseed vie for the limelight. Harvest festival floats are always decorated with wheat, evoking the harvest; moreover, a tarare is often used to project sound onto passers-by.

The traditional niflette festival takes place every year on November 11 in the city center, and honors this pastry specialty from Provins. The niflette consists of puff pastry and pastry cream subtly flavored with orange blossom. In the Middle Ages, it was distributed to orphans at the exit of cemeteries, at the time of All Saints' Day. The word originates from the Latin injunction "Ne flete!" meaning "don't cry!".

Since 2007, the Provins-Moyen Age prize has been awarded each year to a book on the history of the Middle Ages.

The easel tournament is organized on the second Sunday of September and reserved for amateur artists, this day rewards the most beautiful works of painting and plastic arts (drawing, charcoal, collage, pastel, watercolor, etc.) executed on site and in an allotted time.

 

Maison novels

The Maison romane in Provins, a town in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region, is a 12th century Romanesque house. Since 1941 it has been a cultural monument (Monument historique) and is a listed building.

The limestone maison romane is at 12, rue du Palais. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish quarter was here, which is why it is assumed that the synagogue or a Jewish school could have been in the house. In the 14th century, the house was owned by Pierre d’Orgemont, a converted Jew. After the building had been used as a school for a long time in modern times, in 1950 it came into the possession of the Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de L’Arrondissement de Provins, which established a regional museum (“Musée du Provinois”) in it.

The house with arched windows has a large vaulted cellar. An octagonal column from the 12th century has been preserved.

 

Grange aux dîmes

Couvent des Cordeliéres

The underground of the old town is interspersed with medieval corridors that can be visited. You play a role in Umberto Eco's novel The Foucault Pendulum.

Provins is considered the capital of rose processing: Here you can get rose jam (confiture de pétales de rose), rose honey (miel à la rose de Provins) and rose sweets. In 1239 Thibaud IV de Champagne (1201–1253) brought the famous Damas rose with him from a crusade. Many other types of roses emerged from her through crossings.

 

Facilities and services

Urban transport

Provins is served by two stations (Champbenoist - Poigny and Provins). Both being on the Paris - Provins branch of the P line of the Transilien.

Once a year, the steam days of the Association of young people for the maintenance and conservation of trains of yesteryear (AJECTA) are an opportunity to run trains pulled by old steam locomotives between the station of Provins and Longueville station (living railway museum).

The ProBus bus network serves the city of Provins. A B.A.LA.DE on-demand transport network and a mini-train also serve the town.

There are three bus stations: the one located next to the Provins train station, the one in the city center also called Bus station and the tourist office bus station.

 

Education

In the lower town are the Raymond-Louis and Coudoux kindergartens (which also host an elementary section) as well as the Désiré-Laurent and Marais elementary schools.

The schools in the upper town are: the Ville Haute kindergarten, the Lelorgne de Savigny college, the Sainte-Croix institution, and the Thibaut-de-Champagne high school.

The schools in the Champbenoist district are: two kindergartens, the Terrier Rouge and the Voulzie; two colleges, the Jules-Verne college and the Marie-Curie college; finally, the Les Pannevelles high school, which is just opposite the hospital. This multi-purpose high school (vocational, technological and general streams) is also a high school for building trades and public works. Completely rebuilt between 2007 and 2011, the school covers 22 hectares.

Higher education related to the tourism sector is also present thanks to the CFA UTEC Provins, managed by the CCI of the department of Seine-et-Marne. This CFA is linked to the University Marne-la-Vallée and some classes occupy rooms in the Couvent des Cordelières.

 

Sports

An international rugby union tournament is organized annually: Les médi'ovales. This tournament organized by the club has already received New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, England, Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Italy... in all, 14 countries. The Provins club has 270 members and has already won two French youth championship titles (in the Junior category). With soon a new Aquatic Center, Provins Swimming is in full expansion. In summer 2011, one of its swimmers even won the French Open Water Cup (swimming in a natural environment) in the youth category. With 250 licensees, this association promises to be one of the biggest in the city in the years to come.

 

Health

The city has a hospital, the Léon Binet hospital center, on the heights opposite the old town. It was created in 1974 and employed about a thousand people.

In addition, a clinic, the Saint-Brice clinic, is located in the neighboring town of the same name.

 

Market

Covered market under the Mining hall, Wednesday morning.
Under the Halle du Minage, on Place Saint Ayoul and in the adjacent streets, every Saturday morning.
A mining hall has existed since the 12th century in Provins. It then belonged to the priory of Saint-Ayoul, and takes its name from the "mining fee" collected for the measurement of grain and other goods sold at fairs and markets. Rebuilt in 1810, this building served as a gymnasium and then as a village hall for around fifty years. The Halle du Minage once again became a place of commerce and market in 2008, after a year of work which only preserved the four walls and the frame. The paving has been redone, a large canopy has been added.

 

Gastronomy

Le Provinois has an old cheese-making tradition, recently renewed. In 1979, Brie de Provins was created and the brand of the same name was registered. In 2010, on the occasion of its return to traditional production, Brie de Provins was presented at the Salon du Fromage and dairy products in Paris.

Provins is also known for its niflettes, a puff pastry filled with pastry cream. Niflettes are tasted on November 11 and also during the Medieval Festival and some other city festivals.

French city of the rose, Provins is also historically known for its rose confectionery, in particular rose petal jam, Provins rose honey or rose sweets.