Following in Rachi's footsteps Troyes : Troyes Champagne Tourisme

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« We don’t take away any funerary stele in memory of the Righteous. The reminder of their teaching represents the best tribute we could pay to them.”
Talmud of Jerusalem – Treaty of Shekalim (II, 5)

Discover the symbolic places of the city of Troyes by following the steps of Rachi…

The Saint-Frobert district in Troyes corresponds to the former Jewish quarter during Rashi's time in the 11th century. This place of coexistence between Jews and Christians was home to the family of the famous scholar, who likely lived on Rue du Paon. Jews lived there in relative harmony until the 13th century, before the restrictions imposed by Louis IX. Rue Saint-Frobert, named after a church built on the site of a former synagogue, bears witness to this presence. Nearby, Place de la Tour, where the castle of the Counts of Champagne once stood, symbolizes the protection afforded to Jews and the intellectual influence of medieval Champagne. The Rashi Sphere, erected in 1990 in front of the Théâtre de Champagne, commemorates this past, as does the esplanade of the Jacques Chirac Media Library, built on the site of the former Jewish cemetery. Today, the synagogue on Rue Brunneval and the Rashi House perpetuate the memory of this heritage, while the Rashi Institute promotes cultural and spiritual dialogue. The Rue de la Synagogue also evokes the existence of a second Jewish quarter, which emerged with the rise of the medieval fairs of Troyes.

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Following in Rachi’s footsteps

Points d'intérêts

1 - The Rachi University Institute

The European Rachi University Institute opened in 1989. This higher education institute is a university studies and Jewish research centre open to all.
In the room on the ground floor, you will be able to contemplate the sculpture made by Raymond Moretti (1931-2005), called “Yonah”. The Dove is made of Hebrew alphabet letters. It depicts the hope for peace and spirituality.
The institute also offers you to visit the exhibition “Rachi and the Jewish of Troyes during the Middle Age”, conceived by the media library of the area of Troyes in 2005 in collaboration with the Rachi Institute, for the commemoration of the 900th anniversary of the death of Rachi.
Free entrance: from Monday to Thursday, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. On Friday: from 9 am to 1 pm.
Adress: 2 rue Brunneval, at Troyes. Phone number : 03.25.73.82.67

Website : http://www.institut-rachi-troyes.fr
Email : institutrachi@wanadoo.fr

2 - The Rachi house

The current synagogue is located in a former abbey from the XVIth century. This large half-timbered dwelling shelters the synagogue since 1960.

Adresse : 5 rue Brunneval at Troyes.

Opening hours: On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 4 pm. On Wednesday: from 2 pm to 6 pm.

3 - The Sainte Madeleine Church

The Sainte Madeleine Church is the oldest church of the city. It is famous for the fineness of the sculpture of its jube (one of the last nine in France). The church shelters beautiful stained glasses from the XVIth century, which are said to be from the “Champagne School”. Among these stained glasses, you can contemplate “The tree of Jesse “.
This stained glass represents the genealogical ancestry of the Christ since Jess, father of King David. According to the prophet Isaiah, “A branch will come out of the trunk of Jesse, a sucker will grow from its roots. Upon him, will rest the Spirit of the Lord “. The iconography of the Tree of Jesse developed with the worshiping of the Virgin Mary at the XIIIth century, the commentators seeing the Virgin Mary in the branch, and seeing the sucker as being the Christ.
Jesse is usually represented as an old man, wearing a long beard on his face. From his chest comes out a tree, from which the last branch carries the Virgin holding Jesus in her arms.

4 - The former Jewish cemetery

The former Jewish cemetery of the city, which doesn’t exist anymore, was located at the entrance of the Preize quarter. The cemetery was created at the XIIth century and destroyed at the XVth century. The ground then took the name of “Field of Jews “.
Near the Preize street, the esplanade in front of the media library carries the name of “ Rachi, Rabbi and exegete from the XIth century and from Troyes “.

5 - The Moretti monument

The monument of the sculptor Raymond Moretti dedicated to Rachi, unveiled in 1990, is located in front of the Champagne Theater. It is made of a carbon sphere that was put on a granite pedestal in a hexagonal form of 2,80 meters of diameter.
The artist drew his inspiration from the contrast of colors as Cabbale defines it.
You will see intaglio, the acronym of Rachi in Hebrew and the dates of birth and death of the great exegete. You will contemplate the sobriety of the monument which, originally, was equipped with a laser beam indicating the direction of Jerusalem. This laser was shut down in order not to disturb the planes flying other the area.

6 - The Saint Pierre and Saint Paul Cathedral

The Saint Pierre and Saint Paul Cathedral, built from the XIIIth to the XVth centuries, is typical of the gothic movement. Only the Saint Pierre tower was entirely finished during this period, the Saint Paul Tower staying unfinished since 1545.

7 - The former Jewish quarter of the city: the Saint Frobert quarter

The Saint Frobert quarter constitutes the former Jewish quarter of Troyes. It includes the Hennequin, Saint Frobert, du Paon, des Cordeliers, Audiffred and Boucherat streets.
During the Middle Age, the Saint Frobert quarter carried the name of “Brush of Jews” or of “Jewry “. The Brush referred to the bushes that obstructed the streets of this quarter, close to the countryside.
At the XIth century, this quarter sheltered several Jewish families including Rachi’s family.
The Jewish community of Troyes could have developed thanks to the protection the counts of Champagne provided for them from the XIth to the XIIIth centuries, between the reigns of Henry the Liberal and Thibault IV. Even though the Jewish families would gather in this quarter, nothing could distinguish them from the rest of the population. It’s only in 1215 that the Church forced the Jews to wear a distinctive sign on their clothes which took the form of a yellow piece of fabric, called a roundel.
The Hennequin street is supposedly the location of the vineyard cultivated by Rachi to provide for his family’s needs.

8 - The Saint Frobert street

The Saint Frobert church, which disappeared after a fire in 1830, was built during the XVIth century on the location of the former synagogue of the quarter. Today, the building is a residential building.

9 - The Paon street

According to the descriptions that Rachi left about his place of living, we can assert that he lived in the Paon street, although we could not exactly determine the location of his house.

10 - The Girouarde Door

11 - The Saint Pantaléon Church

The Saint Pantaléon church was built on the place of a synagogue, taken away from the Jews by the King Philippe August.
At the end of the XVth century, merchants and rich bourgeois financed the building of a new church.
The new church shelters today sculptures from the destroyed churches of Troyes.

En détail

Dénivelé positif : 23.28 m
Dénivelé négatif : -23.25 m
Altitude de départ : 115.87 m
Altitude d'arrivée : 115.9 m