A UNESCO medieval market town 90 minutes from Paris — towers, tunnels, and the original rose festival
Provins was one of the six great fair cities of medieval Champagne — twice a year (May and September) traders came from across Europe for fairs that were the financial centre of the medieval world, and where the first commercial instruments of credit were developed. Today it is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval town with a UNESCO-listed upper town (ville haute) of ramparts, towers, barns, and churches essentially unchanged since the 13th century. The Grange aux Dîmes (tithe barn) and Tour César are outstanding. Famous for its roses — the red damask Rosa gallica officinalis was brought…
The counts of Champagne held two annual fairs in Provins from the 10th to 14th centuries that were among the most important commercial events in medieval Europe — effectively the New York Stock Exchange of the 13th century. Merchants from Italy, Flanders, England, Spain, and the Levant all traded here, and the fairs developed the earliest forms of bills of exchange and commercial credit. Thibaut IV of Champagne brought the Damask rose from the Crusades in 1240; it became the symbol of the town and the source of the phrase 'sub rosa' (under the rose = in confidence).