Troyes

Troyes, town in north-east France, capital of the Aube Department, in Champagne-Ardenne, on the River Seine. It is a commercial and manufacturing centre; products include tyres, hosiery, machinery, and processed food. The town has many historical buildings, including the church of St Urbain (begun 13th century), which contains the relics of Pope Urban IV, a native of Troyes, and the Cathedral of St Pierre et St Paul (13th-17th century). The town library has a fine collection. Troyes was already a thriving market town in the Middle Ages with widely attended annual trade fairs. These fairs set standards of weights and measures, such as troy weight, which still is in use. In 1420, during the Hundred Years' War, the Treaty of Troyes was signed here in which Charles VI of France recognized Henry V of England as his heir and also as regent of France. The English, however, surrendered Troyes to Joan of Arc in 1429 as she escorted Charles VII to be crowned at Reims. Population 60,000 (2005 estimate).