First mention of the 'tour of the count' 1137 (≈ 1137)
Present Donjon quoted for the first time.
1161
First mention of the Count's Palace
First mention of the Count's Palace 1161 (≈ 1161)
Provins became the second capital of the Counts.
2e moitié XIIe - XIIIe siècle
Building of the palace
Building of the palace 2e moitié XIIe - XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Period of construction under Henry I the Liberal.
1670
Conversion to college
Conversion to college 1670 (≈ 1670)
Trusted to the Oratorians, major restructuring.
1931
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1931 (≈ 1931)
Partial site protection.
2011
Classification of parts of the palace
Classification of parts of the palace 2011 (≈ 2011)
Protection extended to several elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following parts of the high school, according to the plan annexed to the decree: the medieval enclosure of the palace and its annexes and gardens, including the glacis; the retaining walls and terraces of the palace gardens; the Oratorian building called "Door of Thibault" which closes the courtyard to the east; the chapel; the so-called "comtal house" or "new large room" that closes the courtyard to the south; the underground work called "horse cellar" to the northwest of the courtyard; the canonical house known as "former ecclesiastical court" or "Holy Lucence Chapel"; the part of the composite canonial house adjoining the canonial house already classified; the entrance gate of the high school; the land constituting the upper secondary school's right of way, i.e. the cadastral plots AP 89, 134, 135, 216, 217, 218: classification by decree of 24 May 2011
Key figures
Henri Ier le Libéral - Count of Champagne
Sponsor of the palace in the 12th-XIIIth centuries.
Origin and history
The Palace of the Counts of Champagne, located in the upper town of Provins in Seine-et-Marne, is a building built between the second half of the 12th century and the 13th century. Its strategic position on a barred spur makes it an administrative and military site since the Carolingian era. A first mention in 1137 evokes a 'tour of the Count' (the present dungeon), followed in 1161 by the citation of a 'palais du Comte'. Provins then served as the second capital for the Counts of Champagne, and the palace was built under the impulse of Henry I the Liberal.
Over the centuries, the palace has undergone major changes. In 1670 he was entrusted to the Oratorians to become a college, with restructurings in 1671, 1883 and 1963 altering his original appearance. The large hall has disappeared, but the chapel and wing in return keep traces of their medieval elevation. Today, the site houses part of Thibaut-de-Champagne High School and was listed as a historical monument in 1931, with a partial ranking in 2011.
The current remains include the medieval enclosure, terraced gardens, the two-storey palace chapel (one of the oldest), the 13th century 'comtal logis' with painted decorations, as well as underground elements such as the 'horse cellar'. The canonial district, with the house known as the 'old ecclesiastical court' or 'Saint Lucence Chapel', completes this historical ensemble. The entrance gate and the retaining walls remind the Oratorians of their development.
The palace illustrates the political and symbolic importance of Provins, a prosperous city in the Middle Ages thanks to its role as a Comtal capital and its famous fairs. Its architecture reflects both the residential, religious and defensive functions of a comtal power at its peak. Subsequent changes, although they altered its appearance, have allowed its preservation to date.
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