If you’re in the French capital or planning a trip to Paris, know that just 100 km away there’s a small town I fell deeply in love with.
If you too love discovering France’s old medieval towns, you can’t miss Provins and a taste of the Middle Ages still clinging to this town’s soul.
Why should you visit it?
As soon as you arrive in Provins, you’ll realise it has perfectly preserved its medieval structure, with tall towers and intact walls. Several fortified buildings have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO (in 2001, as the town of the medieval Champagne fairs).
And that’s not all! In Provins there’s also an imposing tower which, according to legend, was built by none other than Julius Caesar.
Fancy knowing more?
If you love these French towns, I also recommend my articles on Rouen and Troyes.
Off we go!
1 – The Ville Haute
Before venturing within the walls, you’ll notice that Provins is divided into two parts: the Ville Haute and the Ville Basse (upper and lower town), each with its most important buildings.
In the upper part you’ll find one of the loveliest squares, Place du Châtel, once the town’s economic and commercial centre. Around it stand many old buildings, but the one that will grab your attention is the beautiful collegiate church of Saint-Quiriace.
This Romanesque church dates to the 12th century and has kept much of its original structure, with huge windows filtering a soft light along the bare walls. A curiosity: as you enter, you’ll easily notice that the walls are slightly crooked, whether from a building error or bent by the centuries.
In the Ville Haute there are also some museums. One is housed in the Grange aux Dîmes, a 13th-century building where merchants lodged during the fairs, now a museum on medieval life and trades. For the oldest house in Provins, look for the Maison Romane of the 11th century, which holds archaeological finds and sacred art.
2 – The Ville Basse
To reach the lower part it’s just a short walk of a few minutes, during which you can admire a fine church in early Gothic style: the church of Saint-Ayoul.
Its structure was reworked so many times over the centuries that today it looks very distinctive, thanks to its mix of styles. Many parts were rebuilt after the French Revolution and the interior has lost some of its original charm, but the church is still worth a visit. What I liked most is the portal: to think that right in front of it one of the most important medieval fairs in France used to be held.
3 – The Tour César
The Tour César is perhaps the main attraction of Provins, along with the medieval walls. It was built in the 12th century but, according to legend, it stands over a far older building commissioned by Julius Caesar, hence the name.
But is it really so?
Although the story is part of local folklore, there’s no proof of an earlier building. Caesar may well have passed through here during the conquest of Gaul, but the truth is that the Tour César was built in the Middle Ages as a military outpost, later becoming the symbol of the power of the counts of Champagne.
If you look closely, the structure is unusual: it starts with a simple square plan, then becomes octagonal halfway up, with four circular turrets all around. A little masterpiece of medieval architecture (the roof and framework were redone in the 16th-17th centuries). Entry is only possible at certain times: check them on arrival to avoid a long wait.
4 – The underground galleries of Provins
Don’t miss a visit to the underground galleries of Provins. I discovered them almost by chance and would never have imagined that, beneath a town of this size, a labyrinth of galleries so vast could hide (similar ones are also found at Santarcangelo di Romagna).
The galleries were dug for a practical reason: to extract the rock for buildings above ground. Having a maze of galleries at constant temperature, the inhabitants then turned them into cellars, shelters for pilgrims and finally initiation rooms for a masonic lodge. On the damp walls you can still find old inscriptions and graffiti of every era, some impossible to date, including the famous boar that became the symbol of the galleries.
The visits are guided and the ticket can be combined with that of the Tour César.
5 – The medieval walls (and the roses of Provins)
To end your tour of Provins, I recommend a walk along the old medieval walls. Breathing in those stones under the cold northern sun carried me back to another age, when life moved more slowly. The walls aren’t as majestic as those of Rhodes, but the view from up there is magnificent.
One last curiosity: Provins is also famous for its roses (the rosa gallica), which according to tradition were brought here from the Holy Land by Count Thibaut IV of Champagne. If you visit in spring, the rose garden is a little enchantment.
How to get to Provins from Paris
Getting to Provins from Paris is easy: the town is in the Île-de-France, about 100 km away. By train you can take line P from Gare de l’Est, direction Provins, for about an hour’s journey at a reasonable price. Alternatively, a car gives you more freedom to explore the surroundings.
If you want to experience Provins at its best, consider the combined tickets (Pass Provins) giving access to the main sites (Tour César, Grange aux Dîmes, galleries) and the summer medieval shows, with knights and falconers.
And you, are you drawn more to the legend of the Tour César or to the mystery of its underground galleries?
