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.
Administration
Provins is not the largest city in the arrondissement, but it is the seat. The largest town is Montereau-Fault-Yonne.
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 fairs that were crucial to the medieval European economy, when the city was under the protection of Counts of Champagne.
Sights
Provins is well-known for its medieval fortifications, 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."
The police station (2010), a piece of contemporary architecture designed by Parisian architects Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois.
Economy
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.
