[Illustration: PROVINS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY] [Illustration: PROVINS] The lower town is of monastic origin. In the seventh century some monks, flying before the Norman invasion, took refuge in the forest which stretched at the foot of the fortress, and there buried the remains of the martyr St. Ayoul. The body was discovered in 996, and a church was erected on the spot. The church was followed by a large monastery of the Cistercian Order, around which grew up the lower town. In the tenth century Provins passed from the royal domain into the hands of the Counts of Champagne, under whose rule it flourished exceedingly. Many buildings were erected--abbeys, churches, palaces, and a hospital; also a new wall enclosed the town. Commerce and industry flourished. Dye-works, tanneries, weaving, and the manufacture of cutlery occupied thousands of workmen, and the town counted, we are told, 80,000 inhabitants (there are now only 9,000). Its fairs were famous and were visited by strangers from all parts of Europe; even the silks and carpets of the East were to be found there. Business was carried on by means of money struck at Provins. The "sou provinois" was accepted far beyond the borders of France. This brilliant period did not outlast the thirteenth century. In 1270 Count Henri-le-Gros established heavy taxes on commerce and industries which the principal citizens refused to pay. The mayor, Guillaume Pentecôte, to calm them, lengthened the hours of the workmen, who revolted and put him to death. The English Prince, Edmund of Lancaster, who had married the widow of Henri-le-Gros, cruelly repressed these troubles. Provins finally lost its independence by the marriage of the daughter of Henri-le-Gros with the King of France. Philippe-le-Bel (1284). In 1870 Provins was occupied by the Prussians and suffered many requisitions, but in 1914 the German wave stopped at its gates. Provins is also known under the poetical name of the "City of Roses," because of the profusion of these flowers, which formerly constituted its beauty and its wealth. According to tradition, the red rose of Provins was brought back from the Crusades by Thibaut IV. The Earl of Lancaster introduced it into his coat-of-arms, and thus it became the rival of the white rose of York during the War of the Roses which, in the fifteenth century, drenched England with blood. [Illustration: THE UPPER TOWN OF PROVINS] VISIT TO THE TOWN (See plan inserted between pp. 128-129) [Illustration: SAINT-AYOUL] _Enter Provins by the Courloison Gate and Bridge, and, take the Rue Courloison which follows. At the end of the street, turn to the right into the Rue Abailard in order to arrive at the Place St-Ayoul, on to which fronts the façade of the church of that name. If it is considered desirable to take lunch before visiting the town, go directly to one of the hotels indicated, returning later to the Place St.-Ayoul._ =CHURCH OF SAINT AYOUL= (classed as historical monument)