Collégiale Saint-Quiriace de Provins

Provins

Dominating the upper town of Provins alongside the Tour César, Saint-Quiriace bears a rare name, drawn straight from the legend of the True Cross. Tradition identifies Quiriace with the Jew Judas Cyriacus who, according to medieval accounts, revealed to the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, the place where the Cross of Christ lay buried in Jerusalem, before converting, becoming bishop of the holy city and dying a martyr. The Counts of Champagne, who made Provins one of the capitals of their fairs, placed their collegiate church under this prestigious patronage linked to the relics of the East. A first collegiate church was founded around 1022–1032 by Count Odo II of Blois; around 1160, Henry the Liberal, a lavish and learned count, launched a rebuilding to match his wealth. But his death in 1181, then financial difficulties, halted the works: of the eight bays of nave planned, only two rose from the ground, and the church was closed off in the 16th century by a provisional facade that became permanent. After a fire in 1662, a Parisian-style dome replaced the Gothic crossing, giving the building its unique silhouette. It was here that, according to the chronicles, Joan of Arc heard mass on 3 August 1429 with Charles VII, freshly crowned at Reims. A palimpsest of a church, where eight centuries of ambition and incompletion can be read in the open air.

Getting there : Upper town of Provins (medieval town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), a stone's throw from the Tour César; exterior freely accessible; interior under restoration in recent years – check reopening with the Provins tourist office.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound