Long before there was champagne, there was Champagne. The Champagne region of France, near Paris, is an old one, best known today for the bubbly beverage it exports. But 1,000 years ago, it was a major European trading center, and the village of Provins was right in the heart of it. Wool and textiles were the name of the game then. Twice yearly, huge trade fairs were held in Provins, where local cloth changed hands for goods such as ivory and gems from as far off as Africa and the Middle East.
Provins still draws visitors from all over the world, but it's history and culture that is being traded now. The town is still inhabited, but has been exceptionally well preserved. Provins looks much as it did at the peak of its fortunes in the 13th century. Think Colonial Williamsburg, but 500 years older; Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, but rural; or a Mediterranean version of Stockholm's Skansen, and you get the idea of the kind of lovingly preserved, living history on display in Provins.
A visit to the town is a sure-fire hit with kids tired of the dusty history found in museums. Adults will be equally fascinated with the medieval past so easily encountered. The village has 55 official historical monuments, so you can't help but stumble upon history as you stroll around the small town. Highlights include a trip to the top of Caesar's Tower, overlooking the town; a walk around the original city walls; and a tour of any of the three medieval churches in the village, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.
For a more dynamic demonstration of medieval life, be sure to catch one of the exciting shows in town. Every day from April through November, falcons, eagles, and other hunting birds are on display. But they're not just for looking at. In the afternoon, the raptors go through their paces, swooping low over the heads of the audience in a show of hunting prowess.
On summer Sundays, jousting tournaments are an even more elaborate spectacle. The tournaments re-enact, in painstaking historical detail, a real-life battle that took place in 1230. The fate of the town of Provins hinged on the outcome of the meet, which pitted two knights and their entourages against each other in tests of horsemanship, lancing skill, and plain bravery. The battles take place in the (now dry) moat just outside the town wall.
It's worth trying to time a visit to one of the major summer festivals. The Provins Medieval Festival is the major one, and takes place in June each year (the 2003 festival will take place June 14 and 15). Some 2,000 participants re-enact a medieval trade fair from the heyday of Provins. Period costume, dance, crafts, and troubadours are all part of the entertainment during the weekend-long festival. In addition, the Fête de la Moisson (Harvest Festival) takes place the last Sunday in August every year. This fair is slightly more modern in theme, focusing on farming and harvesting traditions from the late 19th century.•
