Equestrio

Equestrio is a medieval equestrian-show company created in 2005 and run by Laurent and Paule Audureau. It has been in Provins for more than twenty seasons and says it has brought together more than a million and a half spectators.

Who they are

The Audureau couple left the Vendée to settle in Provins. Laurent Audureau was for twenty years head of equestrian activities at Puy du Fou, and at Equestrio he conceives the shows and trains the horses; Paule Audureau handles administration and staff, and is also the costume designer. They work with about fifteen artists from all over France and about fifteen horses, mostly Lusitanos and pure Spanish breeds, which the company trains itself and which do not all perform every day. The costumes, saddles and harnesses are hand-sewn in their workshops, and the war machines are built with the specialist Renaud Beffeyte. Also living on the site are a donkey, geese, goats, two Highland cows and a camel.

The show

Its seasonal show is La Légende des Chevaliers, at the foot of the 13th-century ramparts, next to the Porte Saint-Jean, in the upper town. It tells of Thibaud IV's return from the Crusades to a threatened city, with jousts, combats, juggling, acrobatics on horseback, dressage, charges and war machines. It lasts 45 minutes, the stands are covered and open half an hour beforehand, and when it ends the artists come over to the public. You may take photos and videos. In summer it adds some night fire shows, Crins de Feu, at the town's festivals.

In 2027 there is a performance daily from 27 March to 31 August, and then at weekends and on isolated dates until 7 November. On weekdays it is usually at 14:30 or 15:00, and on weekends and public holidays at 15:45; on some spring and autumn Tuesdays and Thursdays there is also a show at 11:30. The exact calendar is on its website.

Prices and bookings

Admission costs €13.50 online and €14.50 at the ticket office for adults, and €9 online or €10 at the ticket office for children aged 4 to 12; under-4s do not pay. There is a reduced rate, with proof, for over-65s, students and people with disabilities, and children have a reduced price on Wednesdays outside holidays. Groups of 15 or more have their own rate, by reservation only.

You buy on its website, which usually closes sales around midday on the day of the show, or at the site's ticket office, which opens around 13:00. The Provins tourist office also sells it, on its own or with the Provins Pass. Pets cannot enter. The website is in French and does not indicate the language of the narration.