Saint-Jean-du-Marché Church

At the far end of the square stands Saint-Jean-du-Marché Church. A parish existed here as early as the 9th century, and it was in this very church that Louis the Stammerer, King of France, was crowned for the second time during the Council of Troyes. Though it was looted during the Norman invasions, the church was later rebuilt in Gothic style during the prosperous era of the Champagne Fairs, funded by the city’s newfound wealth. That’s how it got its name—Saint John of the Market. It also witnessed a major historical event: the marriage of King Henry V of England to Catherine of Valois, daughter of King Charles VI of France. This union marked a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War and is closely tied to what many historians call the “Shameful Treaty of Troyes.” Under this agreement, Charles VI, King of France, named his future son-in-law, Henry V of England, as his legitimate heir. Quite a blow for the French! The treaty ignited a new chapter in the country’s civil war. The church was partially destroyed in the great fire of 1524 and rebuilt afterward. Though the top of its tower collapsed in 1911 and was never replaced, the church has been listed as a historic monument since 1840.