Provins Châtel Square, Provins

Place du Châtel is the central square of Provins's upper medieval town, a roughly 80-meter-long cobblestone esplanade surrounded by 13th-to-16th-century houses. During the Champagne Fairs of the 12th and 13th centuries, this square served as the hub for currency exchange, where the local coin — the denier provinois — changed hands alongside Flemish, Italian, and German currencies. The 13th-century Croix des Changes (Cross of the Moneychangers) still stands at the center, marking the exact spot where money changers operated and royal edicts were publicly proclaimed.