Provins

French commune
nomcommune=Provins
View of Provins
région=Île-de-France
département=Seine-et-Marne ("sous-préfecture")
arrondissement=Provins
canton=Provins (chief town)
insee= 77379
cp= 77160
maire=Christian Jacob
mandat=2008-2014
intercomm=Communauté de
communes du Provinois


x = 156
y = 82
lat_long=coord|48|33|35|N|3|18|1|E|region:FR_type:city
alt moy=91 m
alt mini=86 m
alt maxi=168 m
hectares= 1,472
km²= 14.72
sans= 11,667
date-sans=1999
dens= 793
date-dens=1999Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs


State Party = FRA
Type = Cultural
Criteria = ii, iv
ID = 873
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 2001
Session = 25th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/873

Provins is a commune of France. Population (1999): 11,667, while 12,814 people live in Provins and the surrounding built-up area.

Provins, Town of medieval fairs, was listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 2001.

Administration

Provins "sous-préfecture" of the Seine-et-Marne "département". It is the chief-town of the arrondissement of Provins, and of the canton of Provins, located in the south-east of the "département".

Provins is not the largest city in the arrondissement of which it is the chief-town - that honor falls to Montereau-Fault-Yonne.

The arrondissement itself has 7 cantons, 125 communes and 112,020 residents. The canton of Provins has 15 communes and 20,996 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.

ights

Provins is well-known for its medieval fortifications, such as the Tour César (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, which was brought over from Jerusalem by Henry I of Champagne, who built a church in this town to contain it. This still stands as 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." [http://www.provins.net/anglais/_private/cadrehistoriq.htm]

Economy

Provins has an important rose confectionery. This confectionery produces all sorts of food from roses, and its main specialties are rose petal jam, Provinois rose honey and rose candy. And, odd as it may sound, the rose ice cream is a delicious surprise!

Miscellaneous

Births

Provins was the birthplace of:
* Marie Jules César Savigny (1777–1851), zoologist
* Dominique Ané, better known as Dominique A (born 1968), songwriter and singer

Twin towns

Provins is twinned with:
* Bendorf, Germany
* Pingyao, China

External links

* [http://www.mairie-provins.fr/ City council website] fr icon
* http://www.provins.net/ fr icon
* http://www.provins.org/ en icon
* http://www.provins-medieval.com/ fr icon
* [http://www.offrench.net/photos/gallery-8_location-106.php Provins photos] fr icon
* [http://www.iaurif.org/en/gis/fichescom/mos99/ficmos/mos77379.html 1999 Land Use, from IAURIF (Institute for Urban Planning and Development of the Paris-Île-de-France région] en icon
* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_98=INSEE&VALUE_98=77379 French Ministry of Culture list for Provins] fr icon
* [http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/mapPerformPage?strAddress=&strCP=77160&strLocation=Provins&strCountry=1424&image2.x=28&image2.y=7 Map of Provins on Michelin] en icon