One of the most famous trade hubs to emerge in the reinvigorated medieval world could be found in the county of Champagne, east of Paris. From the twelfth century, this county—which clung fiercely to its independence from French royal oversight—became home to an annual series of trade fairs. There were six main fairs, held in the four towns of Lagny, Bar-sur-Aube, Provins, and Troyes, according to a calendar in which each fair lasted six to eight weeks.
