Grange aux Dîmes in Provins

The architecture of this former merchant’s house is typical of 12th- and 13th-century Provins, and was the site of a covered market during the Champagne fairs, then a storehouse for tithes – or “dîmes” – from the 14th century onwards, giving it its name: the Grange aux Dîmes.

Preserved medieval architecture

As you step through the colossal doorway, you’ll see the Gothic arches of the guard room and examples of highly elaborate sculpted capitals. Nowadays, the house is home to an exhibition on the merchants and craftsmen’s guilds of the time, which you can explore using an audio guide. You’ll get to meet an Italian merchant, a cloth merchant from Provins, a medieval money changer, a Flemish merchant and a letter writer, and learn about the wool, pottery, stonemasonry, mining and parchment making trades along the way. You’ll also learn all about the Champagne fairs, which played a big part in the town’s prosperity.

Discover the Grange aux Dîmes in Provins through one of the treasure hunts in the Paris Region Adventures application specially designed for families and downloadable free of charge.

And check out the Tour César in Provins.