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Saint-Jean-au-Marché church
A church at the heart of the champagne fairs
The church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché, which dates back to the 10th century, is the centre of one of the oldest parishes in the city of Troyes.
Its name, "au Marché", refers to the famous Champagne fairs that were held here from the 11th century onwards.
A plaque at the main entrance to the church (west façade) commemorates this act.
A vast building, reflecting a prosperous period.
The proportions of Saint-Jean-au-Marché church bear witness to its importance and power at a time when merchants came from all over the world to attend the Champagne fairs, necessitating, from the 12th century onwards, the construction of buildings known as "logettes" around the place of worship. There was a hot fair at Saint-Jean (July-August) and a cold fair at Saint-Rémi (October-November), which reached their peak in the 13th century.
For more information on the history of this building.
Flyers are available from the museums concerned.
A subtle blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture
A composite building.
The city of Troyes experienced a new golden age during this period. It was one of the most important cities in the kingdom, hosting six fairs in 1521.
The population reached 30,000 in the mid-16th century. This encouraged the building of churches.
However, between 24 and 26 May 1524, the great fire burnt down the bell tower and the first three bays of the nave, which were immediately rebuilt by Martin de Vaulx.
For more information on the history of this building.
Flyers are available from the museums concerned.
Renowned artists
The stained glass windows.
Studying the stained glass windows in this church can be a complex task, as many have disappeared and some have been reconstructed from parts of the building's bays or from unknown sources.
The Baptism of Christ (c. 1540).
Rebuilt after the fire of 1524, this bay, donated by Catherine Léguisé, whose coat of arms appears on the prie-Dieu, depicts the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherds and the Baptism of Christ. The last scene features shimmering colours against a starry background, with multiple masterpieces*.
At the top, you can see God the Father and the Dove of the Spirit.
The Judgement of Solomon (1512).
Donated by salt merchant Jean Ménisson, this is the church's most famous stained glass window.
It is unusual in that it spans the entire surface of the window, in a typical Renaissance décor where perspective is accentuated by Italianate architecture.
This stained glass window combines the judgement of Solomon (a biblical character and king of Israel) with another depicting the theft of apples, a reference to a Trojan legend.
For more information on the history of this building.
Flyers are available from the museums concerned.
GLOSSARY
Marguillier : member of a parish council.
Fabrique : group of clerics or lay people administering the property of a church.
Remplage : stone framework of stained glass windows forming an ornamental network.
Grisaille : a glass painting technique using glass powder mixed with various metallic oxides depending on the desired colour. It is deposited on the surface of glass that has already been fired.
The glass is then annealed at a lower temperature to fix the colour pigments.
Jaune d'argent : process obtained by applying silver salts to the surface of the glass, which turns yellow on firing.
Tabernacle : small cupboard placed on the altar or built into the wall of the choir of a church, used to store the consecrated host.
Monture en chef-d'oeuvre : a delicate process for integrating new pieces of glass into another hollowed-out sheet of glass. It is used to insert small elements that you wish to highlight.
Ciboire : a sacred vessel with a lid in which consecrated hosts are kept.
Bas-relief : scultpure in which the figures protrude sharply, almost independent of the background.
Haut-relief : scultpure in which the figures protrude sharply, almost independent of the background.
Polychrome : including several colours.
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