Saint-Étienne (Troyes)

Collégiale Saint-Étienne
Henry I (kneeling) offers the Collègiale to Saint Stephen
Collégiale Saint-Étienne
48°17′54″N 4°04′54″E / 48.298451°N 4.081588°E / 48.298451; 4.081588Coordinates: 48°17′54″N 4°04′54″E / 48.298451°N 4.081588°E / 48.298451; 4.081588
Location	Troyes, Aube
Country	France
Denomination	Catholic
Architecture
Status	Demolished
Style	Gothic
Years built	1157–72
Demolished	1792

The Collégiale Saint-Étienne (Saint Stephen Collegiate Church) was a church founded in Troyes, France, in 1157 by Henry I, Count of Champagne. He intended that it would become a mausoleum in which the grandeur of the House of Blois would be displayed, but that did not happen. The church was demolished during the French Revolution.

The main palace of the counts of Champagne was located on a site in Troyes that is now the basin of the canal. It had a small chapel of Saint Andrew served by two chaplains. In 1157 Henry I, Count of Champagne (1127–81), known as Henry the Liberal, founded a large and splendid church dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne) to replace the chapel. Henry may have placed the college under Saint Stephen in memory of his uncle, Stephen of Blois, who ruled in England in 1135–54. The college and the many houses of the canons were located in the district of Troyes that today is called "Cloître-Saint-Etienne". The founding charter provided for nine dignitaries and 72 canons, making it one of the most important charters in France. The nine dignitaries were the dean, sub-dean, provost, cantor, sub-cantor, treasurer, building manager, headmaster and steward.

Saint-Étienne was endowed with large revenues, many relics and rich treasure. In the town of Troyes the chapter owned a dozen houses, toll rights, taxes on the sale of local products and the income from the Fair of the Clos, which was held for two weeks in January. Outside the town the chapter owned land, men, mills, ovens and tithes in five locations. In 1173 Henry I enlarged the endowment to twice as many houses and the tithes of ten villages. At the fairs the chapter earned taxes from the sales of died cloth, wax, salt, pepper and salted fish.

The college possessed many valuable objects including a gold table with bas-reliefs, decorated with diamonds that was used as altar in the most solemn ceremonies. It was later taken by Robert de Fiennes (1308–85), Constable of France, as part of the ransom of King John II of France (1319–64). There was also a large gold cross decorated with enamels and gems that was displayed at the main fairs. King Charles V of France, when he visited Troyes in 1367, was struck by the beauty of this cross and expressed the desire to own it. Two members of the chapter were charged with offering him this precious object, which became part of the treasure of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.