A Romanesque church begun in the 11th century in the lower town, on the site where the body of Saint Ayoul is said to have been rediscovered in 996. The discovery turned the church into a popular pilgrimage destination and helped establish the lower town as the commercial centre of Provins during the trade fairs.
The west portal is the most striking element — three carved tympana with figures of saints and apostles in a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style. The interior was heavily modified in the 13th and 16th centuries, including the addition of large Gothic windows and a rebuilt nave. The wooden organ case is 18th century.
Saint-Ayoul is less spectacular than Saint-Quiriace but more atmospheric — it is rarely crowded and the lower town setting has a calmer pace than the citadel above. Worth a stop if you walk between the lower town and the ramparts.