Provins
Encyclopedia
Provins is a commune
in the Seine-et-Marne
department in the Île-de-France
region
in north-central France
.
Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 2001.
.
The arrondissement has 7 cantons, 125 communes and 112,020 residents. The canton of Provins has 15 communes and 21,000 residents.
that were crucial to the medieval European economy, when the city was under the protection of Counts of Champagne
.
s, such as the Tour César (the Caesar Tower) and well-preserved city walls.
The Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church is located here. The Empress Galla Placidia
is said to have presented Ancona with the relics of Judas Cyriacus
. However, the saint's head was situated at Provins, brought from Jerusalem by Henry I of Champagne
, who built a church in this town to display it. It is still at the Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church, although construction work during the 12th century was never completed due to financial difficulties during the reign of Philippe le Bel. A dome
was added in the 17th century, and the old families of Provins who lived in the upper town were called "Children of the Dome."http://www.provins.net/anglais/_private/cadrehistoriq.htm
The police station (2010), a piece of contemporary architecture designed by Parisian architects Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois.
cultivation. It produces all sorts of foods from roses, and its main specialties are rose petal jam, Provinois rose honey and rose candy.
Provins is the hometown of:
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
department in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in north-central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Provins, a town of medieval fairs, became a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2001.
Administration
Provins is not the largest city in the arrondissement, but it is the seat. The largest town is Montereau-Fault-YonneMontereau-Fault-Yonne
Montereau-Fault-Yonne, or simply Montereau, is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Name:...
.
The arrondissement has 7 cantons, 125 communes and 112,020 residents. The canton of Provins has 15 communes and 21,000 residents.
History
Provins was home to one of the Champagne fairsChampagne fairs
The Champagne fairs were an annual cycle of trading fairs held in towns in the Champagne and Brie regions of France in the Middle Ages. From their origins in local agricultural and stock fairs, the Champagne fairs became an important engine in the reviving economic history of medieval Europe,...
that were crucial to the medieval European economy, when the city was under the protection of Counts of Champagne
Count of Champagne
The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the county of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title "Count of Champagne". When Louis became King of France in 1314, upon the death of his father Philip...
.
Sights
Provins is well known for its medieval fortificationFortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s, such as the Tour César (the Caesar Tower) and well-preserved city walls.
The Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church is located here. The Empress Galla Placidia
Galla Placidia
Aelia Galla Placidia , daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, was the Regent for Emperor Valentinian III from 423 until his majority in 437, and a major force in Roman politics for most of her life...
is said to have presented Ancona with the relics of Judas Cyriacus
Judas Cyriacus
Judas Cyriacus is the patron saint of Ancona, Italy. His feast day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on May 4.-Judas Cyriacus, Bishop of Ancona:...
. However, the saint's head was situated at Provins, brought from Jerusalem by Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne
Henry I of Champagne , known as "the Liberal", was count of Champagne from 1152 to 1181. He was the eldest son of Count Thibaut II of Champagne and his wife, Matilda of Carinthia....
, who built a church in this town to display it. It is still at the Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church, although construction work during the 12th century was never completed due to financial difficulties during the reign of Philippe le Bel. A dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
was added in the 17th century, and the old families of Provins who lived in the upper town were called "Children of the Dome."http://www.provins.net/anglais/_private/cadrehistoriq.htm
The police station (2010), a piece of contemporary architecture designed by Parisian architects Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois.
Economy
Provins has important roseRose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
cultivation. It produces all sorts of foods from roses, and its main specialties are rose petal jam, Provinois rose honey and rose candy.
Personalities
Provins was the birthplace of:- Marie Jules César SavignyMarie Jules César SavignyMarie Jules César Lelorgne de Savigny was a French zoologist.Savigny was born at Provins. In 1798 he travelled to Egypt with the Emperor Napoleon as part of the French scientific expedition to that country, and contributed to the publication of the findings of the expedition in 1809...
(1777–1851), zoologist - Dominique Ané, better known as Dominique ADominique ADominique Ané , better known as "Dominique A," is a French songwriter and singer.-Early life:Born on the 6 October 1968 in Provins, France, Dominique Ané is the only child of a teacher and a homemaker. He was passionate about literature and music from a young age...
(born 1968), songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and singer
Provins is the hometown of:
- Christian JacobChristian JacobChristian Jacob is a lyrical jazz pianist who ranks among the top piano improvisers and accompanists working today. He has gained widespread exposure as musical director and performer with vocalist Tierney Sutton, although he has also maintained a substantial career as a solo artist and...
(1959), farmerFarmerA farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
External links
- City council website
- Champagne and Brie in Medieval History of Navarre
- http://www.provins.net/
- http://www.provins.org/
- http://www.provins-medieval.com/
- Provins photos
- 1999 Land Use, from IAURIF (Institute for Urban Planning and Development of the Paris-Île-de-France région)
- Ameller Dubois and Associates, architects of the Provins police station
- French Ministry of Culture list for Provins
- Map of Provins on Michelin