The city as a laboratory: Troyes as a matrix of modernity

This article presents thirteenth-century Troyes not only as a historical curiosity, but above all as an advanced analytical model for understanding the mechanisms governing contemporary metropolises. Through a micrological reconstruction of the lived world, the authors analyze the structural fragility of cities, cascades of failures, and the evolution of credit systems initiated at the Champagne fairs. The text sheds new light on the analogies between medieval risk management and today's technological challenges, such as smart cities and the role of artificial intelligence in stabilizing social order. It is a profound reflection on the infrastructure of meaning and the systemic asymmetry that has defined our reality for centuries, revealing the city as a laboratory of permanent change and adaptation.