PROVINS: UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE


The town of Provins, located 35 minutes driving from the auberge de la Source, is  an unique testimony of a mercant town and of the fairs of Champagne ( XIIth and XIIIth centuries ) .

Provins is a real showcase of medieval architecture (military, religious and civil) and it is one of the few towns in France that can boast of over fifty listed Monuments with historical value.
Many highlights deserve a visit.
* The impressive fortified wall was built during the 13th century and extended for 5 km (today 2 km), and it offers a catalogue of military architecture. Those ramparts protected the inhabitants and the tradespeople, and showed off the power of the Earls of Champagne.
*The caesar’ , with its complex architecture, is the symbol of the town and of the Counts of Champagne's power in the Middle Ages.

*The religious héritage is located in the uptown , The Saint-Quiriace Collegiate church, or in the down town  the Saint-Ayoul and Sainte-Croix churches, the Franciscan Abbey and the Bell Tower of Notre-Dame du Val .

But Provins is  not only famous for its monuments. One of the Provins strongest symbol is the
« rose of Provins « . You will learn every thing about the story of  this emblematic flower, its colors, shapes, scents, and its virtues in the Provins rose garden .
Taste the famous rose marmelade

Castle Vaux le vicomte : Inspiration of Versailles

There are two elements of major significance that contribute to Vaux le Vicomte's lasting fame. Vaux was the tragic setting for the downfall of Fouquet, a faithful minister who paid the price of life imprisonment, because of an embezzlement he did not commit, because of the jealousy of others and also because he went a little too far in bestowing lavish hospitality.
For a period of ten years under Fouquet's protection, Vaux was also a haven for leading French artists. Writers, poets, painters and sculptors gave the best of their talents to the glory of Vaux.