Provins, France, a World Heritage Site

Provins is a municipality in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Provins became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, famous for its well-preserved medieval architecture and its importance as an economic centre and annual fair throughout the Middle Ages. There are traces of human habitation in the area as early as the Paleolithic period. In the Roman period Provins was at the crossroads of two major regional corridors in Roman Gaul: one from Soissons to Troyes, and one to Sens in the south. As evidence of its growing importance, by the 9th century Provins was minting its own coins, and Charlemagne stationed his court inspectors here. Under the protection of the Count of Champagne, Provins hosted one of the largest Champagne fairs, an agricultural and trade fair that was vital to the medieval economy. In the upper part of town, the fair was held twice a year in May and November, while in the lower town, a fair was held every September. During that time, Provins was also known as a banking center, with the word "Daniel" widely accepted throughout Europe. The fair lasted from 1120 to 1320. King Philip IV visited Provins several times in the late 13th century and devastated it with harsh taxes, ending its prosperous period and causing residents to flee. The town was besieged several times and changed hands frequently between the 14th and 16th centuries. This political and economic instability reduced the city's importance. On August 3, 1429, in one of the most famous events in Provins' history, the newly crowned King Charles VII attended mass at the Collegiate Church of Sainte-Querias in Provins (Figure 1) with his royal court and Joan of Arc. Provins was largely unaffected by the Industrial Revolution and remained a small market town throughout the 19th century. The Germans occupied it during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 and were only barely repelled in 1914 during World War I. #OverseasTravel #EuropeTravel #France #FranceTravel #AncientCity #WorldCulturalHeritage #WorldHeritage #WorldHeritageTour #france #provins