Layered branches

Provins is a common French, located in the department of Seine-et-Marne and the area Île-de-France. Its inhabitants is called Provinois. Layered branches is registered since December 13rd, 2001 with the World heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Geography

The city is located in the south-east of the Département of Seine-et-Marne (77). On the plate briard, Provins is built around a headland, with the confluence of the valley of the Voulzie and of that of Durteint.

It is served by two Gare S ('' Champbenoist - Poigny '' and '' Provins '') of the line Paris - Layered branches ().

History

Traces of occupation testify to a human presence on the site as of the paleolithic one. Layered branches especially benefitted from an advantageous geographical location, used in particular by the Roman soldiers. Moreover if one believes the legend of it, Provins would hold its name of the vines of a Roman general of the name of Probus (Probi vinum). This one about year 237, would have authorized their culture in spite of the prohibition made by Domitien.

A little later, in year 485 and after its victory with Soissons, Clovis seizes the Roman castrum of Layered branches.

Testifying already to certain importance, to the beginning of the 9th century, Charlemagne sends its Missi dominici to it. Another proof of an important role, Provins beats its own currency.

Layered branches was with the Middle Ages one of the largest cities sheltering Foires of Champagne, when the city was under the protection of the counts de Champagne. It is surely this period which left the most trace on Provins.

Nowadays traditional “the annual stock sale” of the November 11th, which is held each year in all the low city, is not without pointing out these large fairs of antan. This traditional fair was that of the Saint Martin's day, which marked the beginning of the period of recruiting of winter for the seasonal agricultural workers. This fair is included in many towns of agricultural tradition.

The national Price of the medieval book: Layered branches world heritage is allotted since 2007 to a book, bearing on a subject of the Middle Ages.

The harvest festival which succeeds the medieval festival, also testifies it to the cultural richness of the Provinois country. It is celebrated last Sunday of August, and marked in the past the end of the harvest of corn, important production of the country of Brie Champagne, even if today the corn, the beet, colza disputes the high-speed motorboat to him. The tanks of the harvest festival are always decorated with corn and evoke harvest: the winnowing machine to project sound on the passers by for example.

With Layered branches, the fairs are numerous. It is a little as a Tradition which goes back to the Middle Ages

Economy

Layered branches is the capital of the Confiserie to the pink, whose principal specialities are the jam of petals of pink, honey with the pink of Layered branches, the candies with the pink or the syrup of pink. The pink of Layered branches would have been brought back crusades by Thibaut de Champagne. The roseries are not still in activity, the rose tree of Layered branches, small rustic bush and much nearer to the wild varieties than the more recent productions, is not almost any more but in these producers, his aspect not very spectacular harming its diffusion.

Administration

The district, whose more big city is Montereau-Fault-Yonne, consists of 9 cantons, 165 communes and 147  005 inhabitants. The canton of Layered branches is composed of 15 communes and 20  996 inhabitants. The sub-prefect of the district of Layered branches is Mr Thierry BARON.

Famous characters

Anecdote

The city is used regularly as place of turning, energy of the episodes of the series Highlander with turnings of large films like Au-revoir the children of Louis Malle. Some passages of the emission " The love is in the pré" there would have been also turned.

Tourist monuments and places

The site of Layered branches is classified town of art and history and with the world heritage of Humanity since 2001.

The city is famous for its medieval fortifications. Long 1200 meters and comprising 22 turns with the varied geometries, the enclosure of the high city was built of 1226 with 1314.

  • Turn César 12th century. Only octagonal Keep at square base. It is on a paving stone.

  • Collegial Saint-Quiriace 12th century
  • Church Holy Cross
  • the Church Saint-Ayoul
  • the Convent of Cordelières
  • undergrounds: The basement of the old city east truffle of medieval undergrounds that one can visit and which constitute a joint of the development of the novel of Umberto Eco: the Pendulum of Foucault, with other tourist curiosity that is the Grange with Said. In the beginning they were careers whose materials were useful in the clothes industry of the wool (the city of Layered branches being an important city clothier with the Middle Ages). From these careers one extracted a loam called “fuller earth” and which made it possible to degrease wool: the fuller earth was useful a little like soap and, for good to impregnate with it cloth it was necessary to press it with the foot, from where the name given to this clay. The ground was also used to fill the marshes which were with the site of the current low city. The undergrounds were then used as warehouses for the merchants during the fairs of the Middle Ages. With 18th and 19th centuries, certain parts of the undergrounds were used as clandestine meeting rooms, for the cabin freemason of Layered branches or for various groups for the repressive period of the Second Empire. Traces of this use are seen on the walls of the undergrounds in the shape of graffiti gone back or drawings esoteric.
  • the barn with said is a house of merchant. At the time of the large fairs it was used as stock room. Currently it was transformed into museum and various scenes recreate the life with the Middle Ages through various trades (merchant, mason stone,…)
  • the Romance House: surely the oldest house of Layered branches, 10th century or 11th century, it habrite the museum of the provinois.
  • Notre Dame Turn Of the Valley 1544 16th century
  • Fashionable country inn of the Gold Cross. Older fashionable country inn of France currently a restaurant. The frontage is unchanged since its contruction (1264 - 1270)
  • Hôtel of the Vauluisant 13th century

Twinnings

  • , to see

References





External bonds

  • the Community of Communes of Provinois
  • Harvest festival
  • Tourist bureau
  • Site of the town hall
  • feudal currencies of Layered branches
  • Site of Medieval of Layered branches
  • presentation of Layered branches

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