Troyes


Troyes is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris.
Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to the Orient Forest Regional Natural Park. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town. Troyes has been in existence since the Roman era, then known as Augustobona Tricassium, which stood at the hub of numerous highways, primarily the Via Agrippa.

History

The geographical location of Celtic grave-mounds around Troyes and the discovery of Celtic artifacts in the City grounds suggest that Troyes as a settlement may have originated with the Celts as early as 600 BC.
In the Roman era, it was known as Augustobona Tricassium. Numerous highways intersected here, primarily the Via Agrippa, which led north to Reims and south to Langres, and eventually to Milan. Other Roman routes from Troyes led to Poitiers, Autun and Orléans. It was the civitas of the Tricasses, who had been separated by Augustus from the Senones. Of the Gallo-Roman city of the early Empire, some scattered remains have been found, but no public monuments, other than traces of an aqueduct. By the Late Empire the settlement was reduced in extent, and referred to as Tricassium or Tricassae, the origin of French Troyes.
From the fourth century AD, the city was the seat of a bishop. The legend of its bishop Lupus, who saved the city from Attila by offering himself as hostage, is hagiographic rather than historical. It was several centuries before Troyes gained importance as a medieval centre of commerce.
The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, also called The Battle of Troyes, was fought nearby in 451 AD, between the Roman general Flavius Aetius and the Visigothic king Theodoric I against Attila.
In the early cathedral on the present site, Louis the Stammerer in 878 received at Troyes the imperial crown from the hands of Pope John VIII. At the end of the ninth century, following depredations to the city by Normans, the counts of Champagne chose Troyes as their capital. It remained the capital of the Province of Champagne until the Revolution of the late eighteenth century. The Abbey of Saint-Loup developed a renowned library and scriptorium.
During the Middle Ages, Troyes was an important trading town, and gave its name to troy weight. The Champagne cloth fairs and the revival of long-distance trade, together with new extension of coinage and credit, were the drivers of the medieval economy of Troyes.
In 1285, when Philip the Fair united Champagne to the royal domain, the town kept a number of its traditional privileges. John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and ally of the English, in 1417 worked to have Troyes designated as the capital of France. He came to an understanding with Isabeau of Bavaria, wife of Charles VI of France, that a court, council, and parlement with comptroller's offices should be established at Troyes. On 21 May 1420, the Treaty of Troyes was signed in this city, still under control of the Burgundians, by which Henry V of England was betrothed to Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. Under the terms of the treaty, Henry V was to succeed Charles, to the detriment of the Dauphin. The high-water mark of Plantagenet hegemony in France was reversed when the Dauphin, afterwards Charles VII, and Joan of Arc recovered the town of Troyes in 1429 by armed conflict.
In medieval times Troyes was an important international trade centre, and the Troyes Fair was a major event. The name troy weight for gold derives from the standard of measurement that developed there.
The great fire of 1524 destroyed much of the medieval city, although the city had numerous canals separating sections.

Main sights

Not having suffered from the last wars, Troyes has a high density of old religious buildings grouped close to the city centre. They include:
Several Troyes churches have sculpture by The Maitre de Chaource.

Climate

Population

The inhabitants of the commune are called Troyens.

Economy

Troyes is home to the production headquarters of Lacoste company, a popular clothing brand. It is also home of prize-winning chocolatier Pascal Caffet.

Transport

The train station Gare de Troyes offers connections to Paris, Dijon, Mulhouse and several regional destinations. Troyes is at the junction of motorways A5 and A26. Troyes – Barberey Airport is a small regional airport.

Sport

Troyes is the home of association football club Troyes AC, or ESTAC. ESTAC now plays in Domino's Ligue 2.

In popular culture

Troyes is twinned with: