Located near Troyes, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Payns is remarkable for its seniority, statuary and stained glass windows. Founded in the 12th century and placed under the name of Notre Dame, it was long linked to the Benedictine Abbey of Montier-la-Celle, which named the priests of the parish. Around 1550, the transept and the choir were rebuilt. The church preserves two 16th-century statues, a Child Virgin and a limestone Pieta, both inscribed in historical monuments. Today, the church belongs to the diocese of Troyes and is part of the parish of Monts Seine and Melda. It is being restored, especially on the high parts of the bell tower and transept.
The village of Payns, close to Troyes, occupies a singular place in the religious and chivalrous history of Champagne. It is here that Hugues de Payns was born, about 1074, future founder in 1119 of the militia of the Poor Knights of Christ with Geoffroy de Saint-Omer, became the Order of the Temple at the Council of Troyes in 1129. The first master of the order until his death in 1136, Hugues de Payns made his village one of the cradles of the Templar movement, a religious and military order whose members bore the red patted cross on a white background.
Payns' command office, considered one of the first in the West, confirms this exceptional link between the territory, the Templars and the memory of their founder. Archaeological research highlights its logistical, economic and spiritual role, as well as the importance of its remains. The discovery of a monetary treasure in 1998 illustrates the richness of this past and further strengthens the status of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption as a privileged witness to this heritage.
