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Matilda Betham-Edwards - Holidays in Eastern France
Acropolis of Champagne. Thus much for the history of the place, which has been chronicled by two
gifted citizens of modern time, Opoix and Bourquelot.
It is difficult to give any idea of the citadel, so imposingly commanding the wide valleys and curling
rivers at its foot. Leaving the Ville Basse, we climb for a quarter of an hour to find all the remarkable
monuments of Provins within a stone's throw - the College, formerly Palace of the Counts of
Champagne, the imposing Tour de Cesar, the Basilica of St. Quiriace with its cupola, the famous
Grange aux Dimes, the ancient fountain, lastly, the ruined city and gates and walls, called the Ville
Haute. All these are close together, but conspicuously towering over the rest are the dome of St.
Quiriace, and the picturesque, many pinnacled stronghold vulgarly known as Caesar's Tower. These two
crown, not only the ruins, but the entire landscape, for miles around with magnificent effect. The tower
itself, in reality having nothing to do with its popular name whatever, but the stronghold of the place built
by one of the Counts of Champagne, is a picturesque object, with graceful little pinnacles connected by
flying buttresses at each corner, and pointed tower surmounting all, from which now waves proudly the
Tricolour flag of the French Republic. A deaf and dumb girl leads visitors through a little flower-garden
into the interior, and takes them up the winding stone staircase to see the cells in which Louis d'Outremer
and others are said to have been confined. For my own part, I prefer neither to go to the top and bottom
of things, neither to climb the Pyramids nor to penetrate into the Mammoth caves of Kentucky. It is much
more agreeable, and much less fatiguing, to view everything from the level, and this fine old structure,
called Caesar's Tower, is no exception to the rule. Nothing can be more picturesque than its appearance
from the broken ground around, above, and below, and no less imposing is the quaint straggling
indescribable old church of St. Quiriace close by, now a mere patchwork of different epochs, but in the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries one of the most remarkable religious monuments in Brie and
Champagne. Here was baptized Thibault VI., the song-maker, the lover of art, the patron of letters, and
the importer into Europe of the famous Provence rose; of Thibault's poetic creations an old chronicler
wrote:
"C'etait les plus belles chansons, les plus delectables et melodieuses qui oncques fussent ouises en
chansons et instruments, et il les fit ecrire en la salle de Provins et en celle de Troyes."
Close to this ancient church is the former palace of Thibault, now a "College Communal," for classic and
secondary instruction. Unfortunately the director had gone off for his holiday taking the keys, with him -
travellers never being looked for here - so that we could not see the interior and chapel. It is superbly
situated, commanding from the terrace a wide view of surrounding country. Perhaps, however, the most
curious relics of ancient Provins are the vast and handsome subterranean chambers and passages which
are not only found in the Grange aux Dimes literally Tithe-Barn, but also under many private
dwellings of ancient date.
Those who love to penetrate into the hovels of the earth may here visit cave after cave, and subterranean
chamber after chamber; some of these were of course used for the storage and introduction of supplies in
time of war and siege, others may have served as crypts, for purposes of religious ceremony, also a
harbour of refuge for priests and monks, lastly as workshops. Provins may therefore be called not only a
town but a triple city, consisting, first, of the old; secondly, of the new; lastly, of the underground.
Captivating, from an artistic and antiquarian point of view, as are the first and last, all lovers of progress
will not fail to give some time to the modern part, not, however, omitting the lovely walls round the
ramparts, before quitting the region of romance for plain matter of fact. Here you have unbroken solitude
and a wide expanse of open country; you also get a good idea of the commanding position of Provins.
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