Champagne fairs

The fairs of Champagne is the name given to the Foire S being held since the 12th century on the field of the counts de Champagne. Their historical success is mainly the fact of the particular safety from which the merchants profited, guaranteed by the counts de Champagne them-even. They were held in the towns of Lagny (1 time per annum), Provins (2 times per annum), Troyes (2 times per annum) and Bar-sur-Aube (1 time per annum).

It is well the excellent material organization (markets, residences, warehouses), a strong equipment of privileges and the good justice of the counts de Champagne who explain the first development of the fairs which will give birth, at the end of the 12th century, with the cycle of the six large fairs quoted above, that some fairs of less importance supplement.

The Champagne count manages to make respect his “conduit” beyond the borders of his county. Unit of weight, the marc of Troyes appears in 1147 and will be adopted soon with Paris. The Denier provinois circulates rather far to be used as reference until in Italy.

Organization: Guard of the fairs

As of 1147, it “keeps fairs” which takes care of the order ensures the respect of the regular commercial practices as well and develops a true jurisdiction. At the 13th century, the guards hold even the role of notary S, giving the sanction of authority comtale to the acts of private law relating to the transactions and the credits. In second half of the century, they obtain themselves notaries and prosecutors to face the increase in the volume of the businesses, all the more door that the same personnel goes from fair in fair.

The royal conduit of 1209

The royal conduit granted by Philippe Auguste in 1209 still widens the radiation of these Champagne fairs. Those form from now on a coherent unit, which attracts the Italians as well as the Flemings. The royal conduit ensures them that any wrong which would be caused to them would be held for Lèse-majesté and taken into account by royal justice.

A balanced cycle

The Champagne fairs form, as of the end of the 12th century, a balanced cycle of principal fairs and secondaries which gets to the business men an almost permanent commercial place.

2 with the January 15th: fair of Lagny
January 22nd with the February 5th: fair of Troyes
Tuesday before the mid-Lent at Sunday of Passion: fair of Bar-sur-Aube
week of Passion: fair of Sézanne
May: saint-Quiriace fair of Layered branches
June 24th mid-July: “hot” fair or of Midsummer's Day with Troyes
September: saint-Ayoul fair with Layered branches
beginning of October at the week before Christmas: “cold” fair or of the Saint-Remi with Troyes

An economic place of information

The Champagne fairs play as of the years 1250 the role of a money market and must with this role survive as fairs of exchange until in the years 1340, while at the same time the commercial transactions have of good part disappeared.

“Nations”

The fairs in general are one of the places where the men of the Middle Ages become aware of their national identity and their solidarity in front of a local medium. As of XIIIe century, the Italian merchants constitute out of Champagne of the “nations”, controlled by the consuls who are as much representatives of the government of the town of origin (p. e.g. the Siennois as of 1246) that those of the merchants attending the fair. These nations set up structures of assistance at the businesses and even an internal jurisdiction of arbitration, recognized by the king. Starting from 1278, the whole of the Italian Champagne consuls elects a captain, held by the local government for a convenient interlocutor. Similar organizations can be observed on the fairs in Languedoc.

Decline of the Champagne fairs

The Champagne fairs radiate at the 13th century on all the Occident. They regress after 1300 in front of the competition of Paris, to too near justify the maintenance by the large Italian companies of two permanent establishments, one in a big city and the other in four medium-sized cities. The appearance of maritime competition for the traffics between the Flanders and Italy as of 1291 and the opening of new roads through the Alps added to the causes this closing down. All the more is necessary it to add the crisis of the end of the Moyen-âge, at the same time economic and demographic.

See too

External bonds

http://lamop.univ-paris1.fr/baudin/foires/foires.htm

http://www.provins.org/histoire/les_foires_de_champagne.htm

http://www.tourisme-troyes.com/0/histoire/foire.asp

http://www.lagny-sur-marne.fr/decouvrir.asp?appel=patrimoine&id=728

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