Back To Charlemagne’s Time – A Day In Provins, France

Provins, France.

During a vacation in France, I was able to make the one hour drive south-east of Paris to visit Provins, France. Strategically situated along natural routes heading east and west, as well as north and south, the area has a recorded history of human settlement going back to the Bronze Age. The first historical evidence for the name of the town comes from 802, and directly from Charlemagne. As King, he ordered that Provins, as well as three other cities, were to be the sites to hold annual fairs. As such, each of these towns became wealthy centers of trade.  Charlemagne’s fairs were incredibly successful, bringing together goods and ideas from across the continent, and helped to usher in the Early Renaissance and High Middle Ages.

The Castle of Provins.

Already home to a fort, the hilltop of Provins was rebuilt as a castle. Around it, the town quickly grew along with trade and fairs. And the local Counts wisely re-invested their earnings in ample defenses. Throughout 1200’s and into the early 1400’s, a series of increasingly fortified walls were built to surround and protect the town.

The fortified walls of Provins.

Over the course of centuries, power, economics and politics change and eventually Provins declined in importance. Fortunately, and unlike the other three towns hosting Charlemagne’s fairs, Provins has held on to its history. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, the town is an utterly amazing time capsule from 800 years ago.

Home next to a vineyard that’s gone fallow, in town.

Home to a little over 12,000 people, Provins is not a small town, although, the bulk of the population lives outside the ancient walls. The old-town is incredibly walkable, and, turn-after-turn you find these amazing, ancient, buildings and houses.

A tiny (by today’s standards) and very old home in Provins.

Interestingly, as the town was originally designed to host medieval fairs and trade, buildings were required to be either mixed-use (commercial and residential), or purely commercial. This is why many of the builds are multiple floors, the 1st to host the business, and upstairs for living space.

Part of the monastery of Provins.

A ‘mixed use’ building in Provins, and note how the foundation is settling.

As the town declined in economic power with the end of the fairs for the Counts of Champagne, building rules were relaxed, and Provins features some of the finest examples of 15th through 17th century homes and buildings in the world.

The gate to a very old villa in Provins.

A fine home in Provins.

Located on a hill, the cobblestone sidewalks, and tight corridors of Provins add to the charm of the town.

Just your average street in old-town Provins.

A walk between blocks.

Built between the 12th and 17th centuries, at the center of Provins is the domed Church of Saint-Quiriace, which contains some beautiful works of art, including amazing frescos.

Church of Saint-Quiriace

Frescos of Church of Saint-Quiriace

Frescos of Church of Saint-Quiriace

During my visit, one of the features of Provins that struck me was the amount of colorful foliage that was growing on the town walls. Experiencing Provins¹ was unforgettable. If you have the opportunity to see it yourself, I highly recommend that you do.

Flowers on the walls of Provins.

Good nutrients in those walls…