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 Eupedia Top > France Guide Top > Department de la Marne > Reims |
 Reims
Three of its monuments were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991 : the Cathedral of Our Lady of Rheims, the Former Abbey of Saint-Remi, and the Palace of Tau. Many of the largest Champagne producing houses have their headquarters in Reims, and most are open for tasting and tours by appointment. HistoryBefore the Roman conquest of Gaul, the city was the capital of the Remi tribe, which gave its name to Reims. Christianity was established in the town by the middle of the 3rd century, at which period the bishopric was founded.Clovis conquered the remnants of northern Roman Gaul in 486. 10 years later, he converted to Christianity on request of his Burgundian wife, and was baptized by Remi, bishop of Reims. Under Charlemagne, Turpin becomes the first Archbishop of Reims. In the 10th century, Reims had become a centre of intellectual culture under Archbishop Adalberon, one of the prime authors of the revolution which put the Capetian dynasty in the place of the Carolingians. One of his pupils, a monk known as Gerbert of Aurillac (950-1003), studied at the cathedral school of Reims, then became the teacher of Emperor Otto III and Pope Gregory V, before being himself elected as Pope Silvester II. From the early 13th century, the Archbishop of Reims took precedence over all the other peers of France. During the Hundred Years' War, the English had made a futile attempt to take Reims by siege in 1360. The Treaty of Troyes (1420) ceded it to them, but they were soon expelled by Joan of Arc, who in 1429 had Charles VII consecrated in the cathedral. Reims was damaged during French Revolution (as it was a symbol of the monarchy), as well as in all major wars in the 19th and 20th century : the Napoleonic Wars (1814), the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1), WWI (1914) and WWII (1945). The cathedral was severely damaged by German bombardment and a subsequent fire in 1914. It took 40 years to repair the edifice. It is in Reims that General Eisenhower and the Allies received the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht on 7th May 1945. SightseeingReims is a fairly compact city, with most of the sights with a 500m radius from the old Roman forum. Apart from two churches and a museum, all the attractions are located in a north-south axis between Mars Gate (on Place de la République) and Tau Palace (next to Place Carnegie).The train station is north-west of the historical centre. It faces the green Colbert Square , followed by the lively Place Drouet-d'Erlon, which welcomes weary train passengers with its multitude of hotels, restaurants and cafés. The so-called Hautes promenades and Basses promenades, on each side of Colbert Square, are 18th-century parks comprised between the boulevards on the north-west of the city centre, where the city walls once stood. Cathedral of Our Lady of RheimsThe most important sight in the city is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Rheims (Notre-Dame de Reims). The cathedral stands on the site of the basilica where Clovis was baptized by Saint Rémy, bishop of Reims, in AD 496. The present edifice was started around 1211 and completed by the end of the century, with the exception of the west front, that dates from the 14th centuryThe towers, which are 81 m (approx. 267 feet) tall, were originally designed to rise 120 m (approx. 394 feet). The southern tower contains two great bells; one of them, named "Charlotte" by the cardinal of Lorraine in 1570, weighs more than 10,000 kg (approx. 11 tons). The interior of the cathedral is 138.75 m (approx. 455 ft) long, 30 m (approx. 98 feet) wide in the nave, and 38 m (approx. 125 feet) high in the centre. There is a profusion of statues and sculptures on every facade of the cathedral. Inside, the stained glass windows are magnificent, especially the rose window over the main portal and the gallery beneath. Russian-Jewish artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985) added its own stained glass window section in 1974. Among the numerous other masterpieces housed in Our Lady of Rheims, let's note the paintings by Tintoretto (1518-1594) and Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). The treasury contains the Sainte Ampoule, a holy flask containing the oil with which French kings were anointed. The original one was shattered during the French Revolution, but a fragment of it was incorporated to the replica. Palace of TauOpposite the cathedral (southern side), the Palais du Tau is the old archiepiscopal palace. Built between 1498 and 1509, it was partly rebuilt between 1675 and 1690 by Robert de Cotte and Jules Hardouin-Mansart (the great-nephew of the illustrious François Mansart). The saloon (salle du Tau) was used for banquets following the coronation of the kings. It has an emormous 15th-century fireplace and is decorated with 17th-century Flemish tapestries. The museum contains part of the cathedral's original statuary, such as the royal attire for the coronations of French kings. The cathedral's treasury has some remarkable exhibits, like a Charlemagne-era talisman, and a 12th-century chalice.Around the Gallo-Roman forumOn Place du Forum, the Cryptoportico is the remains of the old the Gallo-Roman forum. West of the forum stands the Hôtel de la Salle, a Renaissance house built between 1545 and 1556.In Rue du Tambour, the Gothic Stately Home of the Counts of Champagne (Hôtel des Comtes de Champagne) now belongs to the Taittinger family. The town hall (Hôtel de ville) was reconstructed after being destroyed during WWI. The 17th-century façade has nevertheless survived. South of the forum is Place Royale, a typical Louis XVI-style square with arcades and balustraded roofs. On Rue Carnot, starting from the middle of the western side of the square, one can admire the 16th-century Chapter's Gate (Porte du Chapitre) and its mini-turrets, which open a passage toward Place du Chapitre, a small canonical enclosure just behind the cathedral. Saint Remi of Reims BasilicaThe Saint Remi Basilica is located 1.5 km (1 mile) south of the cathedral. Erected between the 11th and the 15th century, it almost equals the cathedral by its size. The church's towers, nave and transepts are Romanesque in style, which is rare enough to be mentioned (most of the great cathedrals are Gothic). Greatly damaged in World War I, it was rebuilt from the ruins in the following 40 years, through the meticulous restoration work of architect Henri Deneux.The former Abbey of Saint-Remi is adjacent to the basilica. Founded around year 1000, it contains the relics of Saint Remi. At 53, Rue Simon (opposite the St. Remi Basilica), the Museum of Saint-Rémi possesses Gallo-Roma artifacts, as well as Napoleon-era weapons. North of the basilica is the Old Jesuit College of Reims, which can be visited for 3 €. Other sights200m west of the catherdal, St. James' Church (Église St-Jacques) is another superb example of Gothic architecture and stained glass windows.At the northern extremity of Rue de Mars (starting north of Place de l'Hôtel de ville) rises a triumphal arch known as the Porte Mars (Mars Gate). This is in fact a 3rd-century Roman arch, which was part of the city wall and served as a gate. Bas-relief sculptures of Romulus & Remus and other classical themes are still visible. Crossing the railway by Avenue de Laon, you reach the Surrender Museum (Salle de Reddition, at 12, Rue Franklin-Roosevelt), the former headquarters of General Eisenhower at the end of WWII, and where the surrender of Nazi Germany was signed on 7th May 1945. How to get thereReims is located at the crossroads of three major motorways: the E50 between Paris (145km) and Metz (190km), the E46 between Soissons (60km) and Charleville-Mézières (90km), and the E17 between Arras, Laon (70km), Châlons-en-Champagne (50 km) and Troyes (125 km).Since June 2007, the new TGV-Est line operates between Paris and Strasbourg via Reims (45min). Regular train take 1h30min. Trains from/to Laon or Chalons-en-Champagne take 35 min to 1 hour. Charleville-Mézières is about 50min away.
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Reims (Durocortorum in Latin, Rheims in Old French; pop. 185,000) is the capital of the Champagne-Ardenne region and of the Copyright © 1999-2008 Japan Reference All Rights Reserved About Eupedia - Privacy Statement - Terms of Use - Contact - Advertising - Sitemap |