Saint Ayoul Church, Gothic church in Provins, France

Saint-Ayoul is a Gothic church on Rue Abélard in the lower town of Provins, built of light beige stone with reddish brown roofing. Its facade has a large triangular gable above a recessed pointed-arch portal with sculpted figures and grey double doors, three pointed-arch windows with dark tracery in a row, and a slender roof lantern with a cross. Inside, pale plastered walls and clustered columns carry pointed arches and a vaulted ceiling over a central aisle of rectangular stone slabs between wooden pews, with a tall dark wooden altar and a circular chandelier at the far end.

The church began as a shrine after holy relics were discovered in the late 10th century, which prompted the construction of this priory building. A regional count played a major role in expanding the site during the 11th century, making it a significant stop for pilgrims.

The name refers to Saint Aigulphe of Lérins, called Ayoul, whose relics Bishop Sevin of Troyes unearthed here in 996 after a revelation; healings followed and a Benedictine priory was founded in 1048. The parvis in front of the church hosted the first trade fairs of Provins. A 16th-century statue shows the saint holding his own head.

The church stands on Rue Abélard in the lower town, a short walk from the medieval fairgrounds. The nave is entered from the west facade; the choir, chapel and bell tower were classified separately in 1913, and the remaining priory buildings in 2005. Part of the old cloister now serves as housing, so only the church itself is visited.

Among the furnishings is a 16th-century alabaster Virgin of the Assumption with gilded paint, flanked by two musical angels, one playing a portative organ and the other a lute; a replica stands in the church of Saint-André-les-Vergers in the Aube. The church also keeps a 16th-century cephalophore Saint Ayoul, shown holding his own head.