The best traffic-free bike rides around Saint-Mesmin

and the garden is also worth a stop. Many plants are very well labeled.

The 12th century Hôtel de Ville is located in the heart of the historic district of Troyes and was built by Pierre Cottard. The building is built in the style of Louis XIII and the façade with the statue of a "helmeted Minerva" has been listed as a monument historique since 1932.

In 1482, King Louis XII agreed to entrust the management of the city of Troyes to a mayor, assisted by aldermen. These functions were carried out by magistrates or merchants, usually on a voluntary basis. The first mayor of Troyes was Edmond Le Boucherat. Before him, an advisory council sat occasionally in various places in the heart of the city, such as the chapter of Saint-Pierre or the former convent of Cordeliers. In 1479, the council moved out of this aristocratic district to live permanently in the "corps du bouchon" and rented a house near the church of Saint-Urbain, then known as the Chambre de l'Échevinage, which was equipped with a bell to call meetings. In 1494, the city council bought the Hôtel de Mesgrigny, a large building from the 15th century, and in the 17th century decided to build a new city hall. Louis XIII gave permission to use a small part of the income from the tax on wine and salt. The building was therefore built gradually and was not finished until around 1672. In 1933 and 1937, two wings were added to the back by the architect F. Balley. The central facade, with its blue Tournai marble columns, has a niche with a helmeted Minerva, replacing a statue of Louis XIV that was destroyed during the French Revolution. On the monumental mantelpiece in the council chamber, there is still a large wooden medallion with the effigy of this king, sculpted in 1687 by the Trojan François Girardon (1628-1715). Another memorable trace of the Revolution on the facade is the revolutionary motto that was displayed on all French town halls at the time: "Unité, Indivisibilité de la République, Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la Mort" ("Unity, Indivisibility of the Republic, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity or Death").

Troyes Cathedral (in French: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Troyes) is the main religious building in the French city of Troyes. The cathedral is dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul. Construction of the cathedral began in 1208 and was not completed until the 17th century, in the Gothic style. The church is the seat of the bishopric of Troyes in the Roman Catholic Church. In 1420, the cathedral was the solemn meeting place for the signing of the Treaty of Troyes. Nine years later, Joan of Arc visited the cathedral when she accompanied King Charles VII to Reims. The building was protected as immovable heritage and was given the status of a French classified monument historique in 1862.

built in the 20th century in honor of Joan of Arc, see https://tuyo.fr/event/eglise-catholique-261/a-trier-eglise-catholique-421/eglise-sainte-jeanne-darc-637054

The impressive Troyes Cathedral was begun in the 12th century and completed in the 17th century. The structure is truly impressive. Don't miss a visit to the interior.

The cathedral in Troyes was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul (SAINTS PIERRE et PAUL), also known as the "Prince of the Apostles." Their common feast day in the calendar of saints is June 29th. * Simon, nicknamed Peter (Rock), was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee when he, along with his brother Andrew, was called by Jesus Christ to be a "fisher of men." According to Catholic understanding, he is the highest apostle, and the two-millennia-long line of popes—currently Francis—follows his succession. In statues and paintings, Peter is almost always depicted with two keys in his hand; this attribute refers to the biblical passage in Matthew: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Chapter 16, Verse 19). * Paul was initially an opponent of the Christian movement and, unlike the other apostles, was not called to the apostleship by Jesus Christ during his lifetime. Instead, he was converted later with the famous "Damascus Experience." His attribute is the sword with which he was executed. According to Roman law at the time, such a sentence was a "privilege" (a quick death, not a long, painful death struggle like other forms of execution) reserved for the citizens of Rome.

The quarter-hour chime is very, very unusual. This is due to the very old bells that strike it. Where are you from? - I'm from Troyes. What do people do there? - They ring the bells there: This saying was true throughout France for six centuries! Source: https://www.jschweitzer.fr/la-religion/les-cloches/