Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department. It is located on the Seine river about 150 km (93 mi) southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses (mainly of the 16th century) survive in the old town. Troyes has been in existence since the Roman era, as Augustobona Tricassium, which stood at the hub of numerous highways, primarily the Via Agrippa. The inhabitants of the commune are called Troyens.
The Hôtel de Ville (town hall) is an urbane example of the style Louis XIII. On the central corps de logis which contains the main reception rooms, its cornice is rhythmically broken forward over paired Corinthian columns which are supported below by strong clustered pilasters. Above the entrance door the statue of Louis XIV was pulled out of its niche and smashed in 1793, during the Reign of Terror at the height of the French Revolution; it was replaced in the nineteenth century with the present Helmeted Minerva and the device in its original form, now rare to see “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, ou la Mort“.
In medieval times Troyes was an important international trade centre, centring around the Troyes Fair. The name troy weight for gold derives from the standard of measurement evolving here. Not having suffered from the last wars, Troyes has a high density of old religious buildings grouped close to the city centre. Several churches have sculpture by The Maitre de Chaource.
Troyes is home to the Lacoste company production headquarters, one of the most popular fashion brands in the Western World. It is also home of prize-winning chocolatier Pascal Caffet.
[caption id="attachment_214542" align="aligncenter" width="491"] Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who completed four voyages across the ...
