Provins ( French pronunciation: [pʁɔvɛ̃] ) is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and importance throughout the Middle Ages as an economic center and a host of annual trading fairs , Provins became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
17-470: With 11,958 inhabitants (2021), Provins is not the largest town in the arrondissement of Provins , but it is the seat ( sous-préfecture ). Provins is also the seat of the canton of Provins . There are signs of human occupation in the area as early as the paleolithic era . Provins was at the crossroads of two major regional corridors in Roman Gaul : one from Soissons to Troyes and one towards Sens in
34-547: A year, in May and November, whereas in the lower town, there was a yearly market in September. During that time, Provins also because a banking center, with the "denier" being widely accepted throughout Europe. The fairs continued from 1120 until 1320. King Philip IV visited Provins several times in the late 13th century, devastating the town with harsh taxes that ended its period of prosperity and caused residents to flee. The town
51-581: Is located here. The Empress Galla Placidia is said to have presented Ancona in Italy 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
68-543: Is the birthplace of: Provins is the hometown of: Provins is twinned with: Arrondissement of Provins The arrondissement of Provins is an arrondissement of France in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region . It has 176 communes . Its population is 184,763 (2019), and its area is 2,344.6 km (905.3 sq mi). The communes of the arrondissement of Provins, and their INSEE codes , are: The arrondissement of Provins
85-631: The French president . The concept of arrondissements was proposed several times as an administrative reform during the Ancien Régime , notably by the intendant of the généralité of Brittany , Caze de La Bove , in his Mémoire concernant les subdélégués de l'intendance de Bretagne in 1775. The arrondissements were created after the French Revolution by the Loi du 28 pluviôse in
102-715: The 12th century, such as the Tour César (the Caesar Tower) and city walls. Many of the residential and commercial buildings within the Upper Town are likewise from the 12th century; these buildings held the residences of merchants, stores and counting houses. Of the four main fair towns in the County of Champagne ( Troyes , Lagny-sur-Marne , and Bar-sur-Aube ), Provins is the only one that has retained much of its medieval character. The Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church
119-673: The Islamic silk chasuble that St Edmund had with him at his death. Being largely unaffected by the Industrial Revolution , Provins remained a small market town throughout the 19th century. The Germans occupied the town in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War , and were only barely fought off in 1914 during the First World War . Provins is known for its well-preserved, original fortifications from
136-418: The arrondissement of Meaux. In December 2017 the communes Ferrières-en-Brie and Pontcarré passed from the arrondissement of Provins to the arrondissement of Torcy. In August 2018 the communes Villeneuve-le-Comte and Villeneuve-Saint-Denis passed from the arrondissement of Provins to the arrondissement of Torcy. As a result of the reorganisation of the cantons of France which came into effect in 2015,
153-531: The borders of the cantons are no longer related to the borders of the arrondissements. The cantons of the arrondissement of Provins were, as of January 2015: 48°33′29″N 3°17′49″E / 48.55806°N 3.29694°E / 48.55806; 3.29694 Arrondissements of France An arrondissement ( French pronunciation: [aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃] ) is the third level of administrative division in France generally corresponding to
170-473: The province’s historical link to New France . The administration of an arrondissement is assigned to a subprefect ( French : sous-préfet ) who assists the departmental prefect ( préfet ). Unlike French regions , departments and communes, arrondissements do not have the status of legal entity in public law . In addition, unlike those other administrative divisions, they are not run by elected officials, but by political appointees, officials appointed by
187-496: 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." After the addition of the dome, however, no further restoration efforts have been made towards the church. The police station (2010) is a piece of contemporary architecture designed by Parisian architects Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois. Two sets of caves underlie parts of
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#1732773378923204-469: The south. As proof of its growing importance, by the 9th century, Provins was minting its own coin, the “denier provinois,” and Charlemagne had sent his missi dominici to the town. Under the protection of the Counts of Champagne, Provins hosted one of the largest Champagne fairs , an agricultural and trade fair crucial to the medieval economy. In the upper portion of the town, the fair would be held twice
221-660: The territory overseen by a subprefect . As of 2023, the 101 French departments are divided into 333 arrondissements (including 13 overseas). The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture . When an arrondissement contains the prefecture (capital) of the department, that prefecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture. Arrondissements are further divided into communes . The term arrondissement can be roughly translated into English as district. Some municipalities in Quebec are divided into arrondissements, reflecting
238-559: The town. The first type were probably used to store food in the Middle Ages. The second, deeper, type contains Bronze and Iron Age graffiti. Provins has important rose cultivation. It produces all sorts of foods from roses, and its main specialties are rose petal jam, Provinois rose honey and rose candy. Provins also used to be a large producer of wine, with the medieval methods of wine-making still being carried out by residents, and some vineyards are still being used to produce. Provins
255-736: The year VIII of the Republican Calendar (17 February 1800) and replaced "districts". In certain periods in French history, they have served a role in legislative elections, especially during the Third Republic . In 1926, 106 arrondissements were suppressed by the government. While it claimed it was to achieve fiscal savings, some political analysts considered the results electoral manipulation. Some of these suppressed arrondissements were restored in 1942. The most recent creations and disestablishments of arrondissements are listed in
272-556: Was besieged numerous times and changed hands frequently in the 14th through 16th centuries. This political and economic instability reduced the importance of the city. In one of the most famous events in Provins’ history, the recently crowned King Charles VII attended mass at the Saint-Quiriace collegiate church [ fr ] church, along with his royal court and saint Joan of Arc on August 3, 1429. This church keeps
289-494: Was created in 1800. In 2006 it absorbed the canton of Rebais from the arrondissement of Meaux , and the canton of Rozay-en-Brie from the arrondissement of Melun . At the January 2017 reorganisation of the arrondissements of Seine-et-Marne, it received seven communes from the arrondissement of Fontainebleau , 15 communes from the arrondissement of Melun and two communes from the arrondissement of Torcy , and it lost 10 communes to
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