, image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg , imagealt = Facade, looking northeast , caption =

Façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

of the cathedral, looking northeast , pushpin map = France , pushpin map alt = Location within France , pushpin mapsize = , map caption = Location in France , coordinates = , country = France , location = Place du Cardinal Luçon, 51100
Reims, France , membership = , attendance = , website = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = Our Lady of Reims , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = Clovis I , status =

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, functional status = Active , heritage designation = , designated date = , architect =

Jean d'Orbais Jean d'Orbais (ca. 1175-1231) was a French architect from Orbais-l'Abbaye, active in the Reims area. He was an architect of the High Gothic style and the first of the four architects of the Cathedral of Reims, where he is depicted in the labyrint ...

Jean-le-Loup
Gaucher of Reims
Bernard de Soissons , architectural type =

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, style =

High Gothic High Gothic is a particularly refined and imposing style of Gothic architecture that appeared in northern France from about 1195 until 1250. Notable examples include Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, Beauvais Cathedral, and ...

, years built = 1211–1345 , groundbreaking = , completed date = , construction cost = , capacity = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , tower quantity = 2 , tower height = , spire quantity = , spire height = , materials = , bells = 2 (in south tower) , bells hung = , bell weight = , deanery = , archdeaconry = , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = Reims (Seat) , metropolis = , province = , synod = , circuit = , district = , division = , subdivision = , archbishop = Éric de Moulins-Beaufort , prior = , subprior = , vicar = , exarch = , provost-rector = , provost = , viceprovost = , rector = , dean = , subdean = , archpriest = , precentor = , succentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonpastor = , canonmissioner = , canontreasurer = , prebendary = , priestincharge = Jean-Pierre Laurent , priest = , asstpriest = , honpriest = , curate = , asstcurate = , minister = , assistant = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , chaplain = , archdeacon = , deacon = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , assistantorganist = , organist = , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = , embedded = Notre-Dame de Reims (; ; meaning "Our Lady of Reims"), (known in English as Reims Cathedral), is a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

in the French city of the same name, the archiepiscopal see of the Archdiocese of Reims. The cathedral was dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

and was the traditional location for the

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

of the kings of France. The cathedral church is thought to have been founded by the bishop Nicasius in the early 5th century. Clovis was baptized a Christian here by

Saint Remigius Remigius (french: Remi or ; – January 13, 533), was the Bishop of Reims and "Apostle of the Franks". On 25 December 496, he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks. The baptism, leading to about 3000 additional converts, was an important event ...

, the bishop of Reims, about a century later. He was the first

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

king to receive this sacrament. Construction of the present Reims Cathedral began in the 13th century and concluded in the 14th century. A prominent example of

architecture, it was built to replace an earlier church destroyed by fire in 1210. Although little damaged during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, the present cathedral saw extensive restoration in the 19th century. It was severely damaged during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the church was again restored in the 20th century. Since the 1905 law on the separation of church and state, the cathedral has been owned by the French state, while the Catholic church has an agreement for its exclusive use. The French state pays for its restoration and upkeep. The cathedral, a major tourist destination, receives about one million visitors annually. It has been a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

since 1991.

History

5th century – the Merovingian Cathedral

The settlement of a tribe of

Gauls The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They s ...

called the Remes, named Durocortorum, had been recorded by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

in his accounts of the

Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homel ...

. During the High Roman Empire, it became the capital of a province extending to the delta of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

, and in the 3rd century A.D. was capital of the Roman province known as Second Belgium. The first Christian church there was founded by the first bishop, Saint

Sixtus of Reims Saint Sixtus of Reims (french: Sixte de Reims) (died c. 300) is considered the first bishop of Reims.Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, Stephen Bunson, ''Our Sunday Visitor's encyclopedia of saints'' (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2003), 762. Accor ...

between 250 and 300. At the beginning of the 5th century, in the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

period, the Bishop Nicasius transferred the cathedral its present location, the site formerly occupied by

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

bath built by the

Emperor Constantine Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterrane ...

. The new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, anticipating the decision of the Council of Ephesus in 431 establishing her enhanced status. The new cathedral, with the plan of a square exterior and a circular interior, measured approximately by . In the 1990s, the Baptistry of this original Merovingian church, directly under the present cathedral, was excavated and fragments of the old structure were brought to light. Clovis I, the King of the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

, was baptised there in about 496 A.D. by

(also known as

Saint Remi Remigius (french: Remi or ; – January 13, 533), was the Bishop of Reims and "Apostle of the Franks". On 25 December 496, he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks. The baptism, leading to about 3000 additional converts, was an important eve ...

). This was the event that inspired the long tradition of royal coronations at Reims.

9th century – the Carolingian cathedral

In 816,

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...

, the King of the Franks and Emperor of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

, was crowned in Reims by

Pope Stephen IV Pope Stephen IV ( la, Stephanus IV; c. 770 – 24 January 817) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from June 816 to his death.Ebbo and the royal architect Rumaud began to build a much larger church from the ground up on the same site, using stone from the old city ramparts. The work was interrupted in 835, then resumed under a new archbishop,

Hincmar Hincmar (; ; la, Hincmarus; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia. Biography Ea ...

, with the support of Emperor

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ...

. The interior of the church was adorned with gilding, mosaics,

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and

tapestries Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...

. On 18 October 862, in the presence of the Emperor, Hincmar dedicated the new church, which measured and had two

transepts A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

. At the beginning of the 10th century, an ancient crypt underneath the original church was rediscovered. Under the archbishop Heriveus, the crypt (which had been the initial centre of the previous churches above it) was cleared, renovated, and then rededicated to the sainted bishop Remigius. The cathedral

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

is still in the same place, directly over the crypt, where it has been for 15 centuries. Beginning in 976, the archbishop

Adalbero Adalbero or Adalberon (french: Adalbéron) is a masculine given name, a variant of Adalbert (given name), Adalbert, derived from the Old High German words ''Ethel (disambiguation), adal'' ("noble") and ''beraht'' ("bright") or '':en:wikt:bero#Old_Hi ...

began to enlarge the Carolingian cathedral. The historian

Richerus Richerus or Richer of Reims (fl. 10th century) was a monk of Saint-Remi, just outside Reims, and a historian, an important source for the contemporary kingdom of France. Life He was a son of Rodulf, a trusted councillor and captain of Louis IV of ...

, a pupil of Adalbero, gives a very precise description of the work carried out by the archbishop: The prestige of the

Holy Ampulla The Holy Ampulla or Holy Ampoule (''Sainte Ampoule'' in French) was a glass vial which, from its first recorded use by Pope Innocent II for the anointing of Louis VII in 1131 to the coronation of Louis XVI in 1774, held the chrism or anointing o ...

, the sacred vial filled with myrrh with which French Kings were anointed, the fact that Clovis I had been baptised there, and the political power of the

archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

led to Reims becoming the regular site of the

coronation of the French monarch The accession of the King of France to the royal throne was legitimized by a ceremony performed with the Crown of Charlemagne at the Reims Cathedral. In late medieval and early modern times, the new king did not need to be anointed in order to ...

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. T ...

was crowned in Reims 1027, which established the tradition. All but seven of France's future kings were crowned at Reims. It hosted other royal ceremonies as well. On 19 May 1051,

and Anne of Kiev were married in the cathedral. While conducting the

Council of Reims Reims, located in the north-east of modern France, hosted several councils or synods in the Roman Catholic Church. These councils did not universally represent the church and are not counted among the official ecumenical councils. Early synodal c ...

in 1131, Pope Innocent II anointed and crowned Louis VII, the son of the ruling king Louis VI in the cathedral. File:Baptême de Clovis.jpg, The baptism of Clovis by a Gothic artist (14th c.) File:Chlodwigs taufe.jpg, The baptism of Clovis by the

Master of Saint Giles The Master of Saint Giles (french: Maître de Saint-Gilles) was a Franco-Flemish painter active, probably in Paris, about 1500, working in a delicate Late Gothic manner, with rendering of textures and light and faithful depictions of actual int ...

(16th c.) File:Tombeau d'hincmar détruit en 1793 l'Eglise investi l'evek couronnmt à droite.jpg, An image of the Carolingian cathedral on the tomb of Archbishop

(9th century), destroyed in 1793

12th century – the Early Gothic cathedral

By the 12th century, the Carolingian cathedral was considered too small for the ambitions of the Archbishop, Samson of Mauvoisin (1140-1160). He preserved the existing nave and transept but rebuilt and enlarged the two ends of the cathedral. He demolished the west front and adjoining tower in order to build two matching flanking towers, in imitation of the Royal

Abbey of Saint Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

outside of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, whose choir dedication Samson himself had attended a few years earlier. The new church was longer than the old cathedral, . On the east end, he created a larger choir and a disambulatory and ring of radiating chapels. At the end of the century, the nave and the transept were still of the Carolingian style while the apse and façade were in the

Early Gothic Early Gothic is the style of architecture that appeared in northern France, Normandy and then England between about 1130 and the mid-13th century. It combined and developed several key elements from earlier styles, particularly from Romanesque ar ...

style. File:Sceau et contre sceau cathédrale reims.jpg, Seal of the cathedral, showing how it appeared in the 12th century

13th–14th century – the High Gothic cathedral

On 6 May 1210, the Carolingian

early Gothic Early Gothic is the style of architecture that appeared in northern France, Normandy and then England between about 1130 and the mid-13th century. It combined and developed several key elements from earlier styles, particularly from Romanesque ar ...

cathedral was destroyed by fire, allegedly due to "carelessness." One year to the day afterwards, archbishop Aubrey laid the first stone of the new cathedral's chevet. The work on the new cathedral moved with exceptional speed, because Reims was one of the first buildings to use stones and other materials of standardised sizes, so each stone did not have to be cut to measure. In July 1221, the chapel at the east end of the cathedral entered use. In 1230, work began on the west front, indicating that the nave was nearly complete. After a speedy beginning, the work was delayed between 1233 and 1236 due to a serious conflict between the cathedral's clergy and the city's wealthy upper class. However, in 1241, the members of the Chapter were able to meet in the choir, showing that the vaults of the apse and the five last traverses of the nave on the east, where the stalls were located, were finished. The western portion preceded more slowly. Work on the west face did not begin until 1252, and the portals were not completed until after 1260. Thereafter work moved from the west to the east, with the completion of the nave; the level of the rose windows was completed in about 1275–1280. The roof of the nave and upper galleries were finished in 1299. Four architects succeeded each other until the completion of the cathedral's structural work in 1275:

, Jean-le-Loup, Gaucher of Reims and Bernard de Soissons. But the cathedral was still not finished. The Gallery of Kings on the west front, and the octagonal upper towers were not finished until the 1460s. A very high wooden and lead

flèche Flèche or Fleche may refer to: *Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire *Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition *Flèche (fencing) The flèche is an aggressive offensive fencing technique used with foil and épée. Background ...

, or spire, was constructed over the transept, but was destroyed in 1481 by a fire caused by the negligence of the workers covering the flèche. The last works to be finished were the upper galleries of the nave, completed in 1505. These were so expensive that the remaining planned projects, including a 170-meter tall bell tower over the transept, spires on the west front and the planned upper towers flanking the transept, were never built.

15th–16th century

The coronation of Charles VII in 1429 marked the reversal of the course of the Hundred Years' War, due in large part to the actions of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

. She is memorialized at Reims Cathedral with two statues: an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

outside the church and another within the church. Documentary records show the acquisition of land to the west of the site in 1218, suggesting the new cathedral was substantially larger than its predecessors, the lengthening of the nave presumably being an adaptation to afford room for the crowds that attended the coronations. In 1233 a long-running dispute between the cathedral chapter and the townsfolk (regarding issues of taxation and legal jurisdiction) boiled over into open revolt. Several clerics were killed or injured during the resulting violence and the entire cathedral chapter fled the city, leaving it under an

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits persons, certain active Church individuals or groups from participating in certain rites, or that the rites and services of the church are banished from ...

(effectively banning all public worship and sacraments). Work on the new cathedral was suspended for three years, only resuming in 1236 after the clergy returned to the city and the interdict was lifted following mediation by the king and the pope. Construction then continued more slowly. The area from the crossing eastwards was in use by 1241 but the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

was not roofed until 1299 (when the French king lifted the tax on lead used for that purpose). Work on the west façade took place in several phases, which is reflected in the very different styles of some of the sculptures. The upper parts of the façade were completed in the 14th century, but apparently following 13th-century designs, giving Reims an unusual unity of style. Unusually, the names of the cathedral's original architects are known. A labyrinth built into floor of the

at the time of construction or shortly after (similar to examples at Chartres and

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

) included the names of four master masons (

, Jean-le-Loup, Gaucher de Reims and Bernard de Soissons) and the number of years they worked there, though art historians still disagree over who was responsible for which parts of the building. The labyrinth itself was destroyed in 1779 but its details and inscriptions are known from 18th-century drawings. The clear association here between a labyrinth and master masons adds weight to the argument that such patterns were an allusion to the emerging status of the architect (through their association with the mythical architect

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, a ...

, who built the

Cretan labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

of Minos). The cathedral also contains further evidence of the rising status of the architect in the tomb of Hugues Libergier (d. 1268, architect of the now-destroyed Reims church of St-Nicaise). Not only is he given the honour of an engraved slab; he is shown holding a miniature model of his church (an honour formerly reserved for noble donors) and wearing the academic garb befitting an intellectual. The towers, tall, were originally designed to rise . The south tower holds just two great bells; one of them, named "Charlotte" by

Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine Charles de Lorraine (c. 1525 – 26 December 1574), Duke of Chevreuse, was a French Cardinal, a member of the powerful House of Guise. He was known at first as the Cardinal of Guise, and then as the second Cardinal of Lorraine, after the death o ...

in 1570, weighs more than . Following the death of the infant King John I, his uncle Philip was hurriedly crowned at Reims, 9 January 1317. During the Hundred Years' War's Reims campaign the city was under siege by the English from 1359 to 1360, but the siege failed. In 1380, Reims Cathedral was the location of Charles VI's coronation and eight years later Charles called a council at Reims in 1388 to take personal rule from the control of his uncles. After Henry V of England defeated Charles VI's army at the Battle of Agincourt, Reims along with most of northern France fell to the English. The English held Reims and the cathedral until 1429, when it was captured by

, allowing the ''dauphin'' Charles to be crowned king on 17 July 1429. Following the death of

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

, Henry II was crowned King of France on 25 July 1547 in Reims Cathedral. On 24 July 1481, a new fire caused by the negligence of workers on the roof took hold in the attic, causing the destruction of the framework, central bell tower, and the galleries at the base of the roof, and caused the lead of the roof to melt, causing further damage. However, recovery was quick with kings Charles VIII and

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

making donations to the cathedral's reconstruction. In particular, they granted the cathedral an

octroi Octroi (; fro, octroyer, to grant, authorize; Lat. ''auctor'') is a local tax collected on various articles brought into a district for consumption. Antiquity The word itself is of French origin. Octroi taxes have a respectable antiquity, bein ...

in regards to the unpopular

Gabelle The ''gabelle'' () was a very unpopular tax on salt in France that was established during the mid-14th century and lasted, with brief lapses and revisions, until 1946. The term ''gabelle'' is derived from the Italian ''gabella'' (a duty), itself ...

tax. In gratitude, the new roof was adorned by

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

and the royal coat of arms "affixed to the top of the façade". However, this work was suspended before the arrows were completed in 1516. File:Edouard III assiègeant Reims.jpg, Edward III of England besieges Reims with cannons in the Reims Campaign of the Hundred Years' War. The cathedral is visible in the background. File:Jeanne d'Arc - Panthéon III.jpg, Coronation of Charles VII in 1429, by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, showing

at right.

17th–18th century

The 18th century saw the first major reconstruction inside the cathedral. Between 1741 and 1749, the lower windows and the medieval furniture, the principal altar, the choir stalls, and the choir screen were all replaced with furnishings more in keeping with the theological requirements and taste of the era. The sculpture of the portals was also restored. In 1793, during the

, the cathedral was closed and briefly turned into a storehouse for grain, and then for a time into a Temple of Reason. Most of the remaining furniture and funeral monuments were destroyed, the reliquaries in the treasury melted down for the gold, and the bells melted down to make cannon. Mobs hammered much of the sculpture of the grand portal and the more evident symbols of royalty, such as the

emblems, and the royal Hand of Justice were burned. However, most of the medieval sculpture survived relatively intact. File:Reims - Sacres royaux (14).JPG, Coronation of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

, October 17, 1610 File:ProcessionOfLouisXIVAfterHisCoronatin.jpg, Coronation procession of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...

(1724) File:Reims - Sacres royaux (12).JPG, Coronation of

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

(1775)

19th century

With the restoration of the French monarchy after the downfall of Napoleon, the practice of royal coronations at Reims resumed, but only briefly. The last king of France to be crowned there was

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

in 1825. His reign was deeply unpopular. He was overthrown in the Revolution of 1830 and replaced by a Constitutional monarch,

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

, who was sworn in at the Parliament in Paris rather than crowned in Reims. A series of restoration projects were carried out in the later 19th century, focusing first on the gables and statues on the west front (1826–30), and then the upper galleries, windows and towers (1845–60), under

Jean-Jacques Arveuf Jean Jacques Nicolas Arveuf-Fransquin (1802–1876) was a French architect. He designed several châteaux, and undertook work on cathedrals in the French provinces. Early years Jean Jacques Nicolas Arveuf-Fransquin was born in Paris in 1802. He ...

. In 1860 He was replaced by

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

, who modified the gallery of the choir and the apse closer to their original medieval appearance. He was succeeded by two more architects, Eugene Millet and Victor Ruprich-Robert, who took considerable liberties in remaking the galleries of the nave in a more imaginative 13th-century Gothic style. In 1888. they were followed by Denis Darcy and Paul Gout, who followed more closely the historic architecture, particularly in the restoration of the west rose window. Coronation of Charles X of France by François Gérard, circa 1827.jpg, Coronation of Charles X of France at Reims in 1825 by

François Gérard François Pascal Simon Gérard (, 4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837), titled as Baron Gérard in 1809, was a prominent French painter. He was born in Rome, where his father occupied a post in the house of the French ambassador, and his mother was It ...

File:La Cathédrale de Reims (bgw17 0594).jpg, Reims Cathedral under restoration in 1845, by Adrien Dauzats

20th century – First World War and restoration

On the outbreak of the First World War, the cathedral was commissioned as a hospital, and troops and arms were removed from its immediate vicinity. On 4 September 1914, the XII Saxon corps arrived at the city and later that day the Imperial German Army began shelling the city. The guns, located away in Les Mesneux, ceased firing when the XII Saxon Corps sent two officers and a city employee to ask them to stop shelling the city. On 12 September, the occupying German Army decided to place their wounded in the cathedral over the protests of the Abbe Maurice Landrieux, and spread 15,000 bales of straw on the floor of the cathedral for this purpose. The next day French soldiers under General

Franchet d'Esperey Franchet is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrien René Franchet (1834–1900), French botanist * Louis Franchet d'Espèrey Louis Félix Marie François Franchet d'Espèrey (25 May 1856 – 8 July 1942) was a French ...

re-entered the city, but German wounded were left in the cathedral. Six days later, a shell exploded in the bishop's palace, killing three and injuring 15. On 18 September a prolonged bombardment began and on the 19th shells struck the "forest" of wooden timbers under the lead-covered roof, setting it on fire, and completely destroying the roof. The bells melted, windows were blown out, and the sculpture and parts of the walls were damaged. The lead in the roofing melted and poured through the mouths of the stone

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

s, damaging, in turn, the adjoining bishop's palace. Images of the cathedral in ruins were shown during the war by the indignant French, accusing the Germans of the deliberate destruction of buildings rich in national and cultural heritage, while German propaganda blamed the deaths of prisoners on the French, who at gunpoint prevented them fleeing the fire. Single shells continued to strike the ruined building for several years, despite repeated pleas by Pope

Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his deat ...

. At the end of the war, it was proposed to keep the cathedral in its damaged state as a monument to victims of the war, but this idea was finally rejected. A major restoration project began in 1919, led by Henri Deneux, chief architect of the service of French historic monuments. The restoration received major funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, and sometimes made use of modern techniques and materials, including prefabricated reinforced concrete, to strengthen the structure. In the 1920s, the foundations of the earlier church from the Carolingian period were discovered under the cathedral and excavated. The work was completed and the cathedral was reopened in 1938. File:Cathédrale de Reims en 1914.jpg, The cathedral after bombardment (1914) File:Cathédrale reims 1007139.jpg, The cathedral, without its roof, after the bombardment File:Image from page 59 of "Rheims and the battles for its possession" (1920).jpg, Interior of the cathedral after the bombardment Restoration work on the church has continued since 1938, repairing the damage caused by the war and by pollution. In 1955 Georges Saupique made a copy of the Coronation of the Virgin, which can be seen above the cathedral entrance and with

Louis Leygue Louis Leygue (born 25 August 1905 in Bourg-en-Bresse) was a French sculptor and painter. As a sculptor he worked in the traditional stone but also pioneered the use of various metals. He was particularly adept in depicting horses. Biography E ...

copied many of the other sculptures on the cathedral façade. He also executed a statue of St Thomas for the north tower. Beginning in 1967, many of the statues from the exterior, such as the smiling angel, were moved to the interior of the Tau Palace for protection, and replaced by copies. The Franco-German reconciliation was symbolically formalized in July 1962 by French president Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor

Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (; 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman who served as the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of the Christian Dem ...

, where, in 1914, the Imperial German Army deliberately shelled the cathedral in order to shake French morale. The cathedral, former

Abbey of Saint-Remi An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...

, and the

Palace of Tau The Palace of Tau (french: Palais du Tau) in Reims, France, was the palace of the Archbishop of Reims. It is associated with the kings of France, whose coronation was held in the nearby cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims and the following coronat ...

were added to the list of

UNESCO World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in 1991. On his 74th Pastoral Visit,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visited Reims on 26 September 1996 for the 1500th anniversary of the baptism of Clovis. While there, the Pope prayed at the same chapel where

Jean-Baptiste de La Salle Jean-Baptiste de La Salle () (; 30 April 1651 – 7 April 1719) was a French priest, educational reformer, and founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He is a saint of the Catholic Church and the patron saint for tea ...

celebrated his first

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

in 1678. On 8 October 2016, a plaque bearing the names of the 31 kings crowned in Reims was placed in the cathedral in the presence of the archbishop Thierry Jordan and Prince

Louis-Alphonse, Duke of Anjou Louis Alphonse de BourbonHis name is given as "Prince Louis Alphonse of Bourbon and Martínez-Bordiú, Duke of Anjou" by Olga S. Opfell in ''Royalty who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe'' (2001), p. 11. ( es, Luis Alfonso ...

, one of many pretenders to the French throne.

Timeline of Reims Cathedral

* c. 250-300 - Saint

is recorded as the first bishop of Reims * 314 -A Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, built by Bishop Bétause, recorded at site of the Church of Saint-Symphorien * 420 - Bishop Nicasius builds a new cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, at the present site * 496 - Clovis the King of the Franks, is baptised by Bishop Remi * 816 - King

is crowned in the cathedral * 848 - Construction of new cathedral begins * 862 - New cathedral consecrated * 1140-1160 - Archbishop Samson rebuilds the west front and the choir * 1208 - First stone of new cathedral placed by Archbishop Aubry de Humbert * 1241 - Completion of the choir, apse, east part of nave, north portal and most of transept * 1252 - Land obtained for the new west front * 1299 - Roof of the nave completed * 1300-1350 - Gallery of Kings constructed * 1430-1460 - Construction of the upper west front towers * 1481 - A fire destroys the roof and the spire of the transept * 1504 - Completion of reconstruction after fire * 1580 - South rose window destroyed by hurricane * 1611 - Restoration of the west portals * 1737 - Repair of the west facade and sculpture * 1741–1749 - Removal of medieval furniture and redecoration in classical style * 1793 - During

, treasury pillaged, and cathedral turned into storage barn for fodder * 1825–1830 - Restoration of the west portals * 1845–1860 - Restoration of upper church and towers * 1850–1879 - Apse restored by

* 1875–1880 - Restoration of galleries of the nave * 1914–1918 - Cathedral, near the front lines of World War I, struck by more than three hundred artillery shells * 1918–1937 - Repair of war damage and new archeological excavations * 1962 - President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor

commemorate Franco-German reconciliation in Cathedral * 1986 - Restoration of north portal completed * 1996 -

commemorates 1500th anniversary of baptism of Clovis at the cathedral * 2011 - Restoration of west portals begun * 2014 - Beginning of restoration of west rose window

Plan

File:ReimsCathedral0116.jpg, Apse (left), transept (centre), nave and west front (right) File:Carte congrés archéo reims bmr 9.jpg, Plan of the cathedral

Exterior

West façade

The west façade, the entry to the cathedral, particularly glorifies royalty. Most of it was completed at the same time, giving it an unusual unity of style. It is harmonic or balanced, with two towers of equal height and three portals entering into the nave. The porches of the portals, with archivolts containing many sculptures, protrude from the main wall. Above and slightly behind the central portal is a large rose window at the level of the clerestory, with tall arched windows flanked by statuary under pointed canopies projected forward. Above this level is the gallery of kings, composed of 56 statues with a height of , with Clovis I, the first Christian king of the Franks, in the center,

Clotilde Clotilde ( 474–545), also known as Clothilde, Clotilda, Clotild, Rotilde etc. (Latin: Chrodechildis, Chlodechildis from Frankish ''*Hrōþihildi'' or perhaps ''*Hlōdihildi'', both "famous in battle"), was a Queen of All the Franks. She was s ...

to his right, and Saint Remigius to his left. The two bell towers were originally planned to have spires making them three times taller than the nave, but these were never built. File:FR-51-Reims4.JPG, West façade and portals File:ReimsCattedraleEsternoBattesimoClodoveo.jpg, Gallery of kings File:Reims-116-Kathedrale-Rosette-1981-gje.jpg, Central portal and rose window

West portals

The three portals contain an elaborate sculptural program that illustrates to the illiterate churchgoers the messages of the Bible. The central portal is devoted to the

, the patron of the cathedral. The principal scene under the gable of the top of the portal shows the symbolic marriage of Christ with his church, represented by Mary. Mary is also the figure on the statue-column in the centre of the doorway. The statuary of the south portal depicts the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

and the ''

Apocalypse of John The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...

'', the only major Gothic cathedral to combine these two themes. The figure of Christ passing judgement is placed under the gable over the top of the portal, with angels carrying symbols of the

Passion of Christ In Christianity, the Passion (from the Latin verb ''patior, passus sum''; "to suffer, bear, endure", from which also "patience, patient", etc.) is the short final period in the life of Jesus Christ. Depending on one's views, the "Passion" m ...

. Other figures represent the

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand t ...

, as well as a multitude of angels, and allegorical symbols of the vices and virtues. The sculpture of the north portal depicts the

Crucifixion of Christ The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and considere ...

, which is shown under the gable at the top of the portal; other scenes show the

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

, and the

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate la, ascensio Iesu, lit=ascent of Jesus) is the Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising to Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. According to th ...

to heaven. To the left of the north portal is one of the most recognisable of all the sculptures of Reims, the Smiling Angel, Gabriel, with Mary, on the north side. The angel was damaged during the First World War, but repaired and returned to its place. File:Reims - South portal - right 1 of 2 - Simon, John-the-Baptiste, Isaiah.jpg, Sculpture of the south portal - Simon, John the Baptist, and Isaiah File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims 70.jpg, Sculpture over the central portal:
the crowning of the Virgin Mary File:Reims Cathedral - Central doorway.JPG, Embrasement of the north portal, including the Smiling Angel next to the Virgin Mary

Towers

Fire destroyed the original roof and the spires in 1481: of the four towers that flanked the transepts, nothing remains above the height of the roof. The southwest tower contains the massive bourdon, a bell 2.46 meters in diameter, and weighing ten tons, given to the cathedral in 1570 by the cardinal Charles of Lorraine; it also contains the second bourdon, weighing seven tons, and 2.2 meters in diameter. This bell was made in 1849. File:Reims Cathedral, exterior (3).jpg, The towers of the west facade File:Cathédrale ND de Reims - tour nord (7).JPG, Detail of the north tower File:ReimsCathedral 25.jpg, Detail of south tower

Transept

The north transept, like the west facade, has three portals surrounded by sculpture. They are dedicated to the Virgin Mary (left); Christian saints (centre) and the

(right). Above and set back from the portals are three small rose windows, and then a large rose window covered with an arcade full of sculpture. The north rose window is one of the earliest examples of the use of bar

tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...

, with the panes of stained glass separated by thin stone

mullions A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

. Twelve stone mullions radiate outward from a central eye. This became a major characteristic of

Rayonnant Gothic In French Gothic architecture, Rayonnant () is the period from about the mid-13th century to mid-14th century. It was characterized by a shift away from the High Gothic search for increasingly large size toward more spatial unity, refined decora ...

architecture. Above this window an arch full of sculpture, and above the continuation of the gallery of kings from the west façade, with seven statues of apostles and prophets. At the top is a triangular pigeon with a sculptural depiction of the Annunciation. The pignon is decorated with

crockets A crocket (or croquet) is a small, independent decorative element common in Gothic architecture. The name derives from the diminutive of the French ''croc'', meaning "hook", due to the resemblance of crockets to a bishop's crosier. Description ...

and other elaborate ornament that became characteristic of the late Gothic Flamboyant style. The north transept is flanked by two tall buttresses, which are crowned by slender tabernacles containing statues of kings, covered with spires decorated with more late Gothic crockets. The south transept has a similar plan to the north transept, but lacks portals. Instead, there is a group of three narrow lancet windows divided by slender columns and topped by small rose windows, and above them a large rose window. The original south rose window was destroyed by a hurricane in 1580, and was replaced by a window with a simpler design of tracery. The upper gallery of statues underwent major restoration in the 19th century. The triangular ''pignon'' at the top is in the Flamboyant style, with sculpture depicting the Assumption of the Virgin. At the peak of the pignon is a statue of a Sagittarius, an ancient Roman archer, with his bow. File:Reims cathedral north portal.jpg, Portal of the north transept File:North Transept of Reims Cathedral and Rue de Préau 20140306 21.jpg, The North Transept File:Reims (51) Cathédrale N.D. Façade sud 03.JPG, The south transept File:Top of the transept of Reims cathedral from south.jpg, The flamboyant pignon of the south transept, with statue of a Sagittarius on top

Walls and buttresses

The north and south walls of the long nave are supported by eleven

flying buttresses The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey lateral forces to the ground that are necessary to pu ...

on each side. These counterbalance the outward thrust of the ceiling vaults, and make possible the great height, thin walls and large windows that bring abundant light into the nave. The double arches of each buttress make a leap from heavy pillars to the upper walls. The buttresses are topped by slender booth-like tabernacles containing statues, decorated with slender spires. The statuary gives additional weight to the buttresses, helps conceal the arches, and complements the decoration of the upper level of the cathedral. The buttresses have a secondary function; the arches have narrow channels that carry rain water to the mouths of the sculpted gargoyles which spout it away from the building. An additional decorative blind gallery was added to the upper walls after a fire of 1481, composed of a series of arches, pinnacles, trilobe rosettes and gables. This conceals the base of the roof, which rises up sixteen meters to its peak. The peak of the roof is decorated with a line of gilded

ornaments. File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, South Facade 20140306 1.jpg, South facade File:Reims Cathedral, exterior (9).jpg, Buttresses on the north side of the nave support the upper walls File:Nef Côté Nord Cathédrale de Reims 210608 1.jpg, Detail of the north roofline

Apse

The apse, the east end of the cathedral, has one axial chapel at the end and four radiating chapels. The exterior is lavishly decorated with arcades, pinnacles, spires and an abundance of statuary. Much of the sculpture was added in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. Above the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

rises a slender, lead-covered timber

, or spire, that is 18 m (about 59 feet) tall. It was reconstructed in the 15th century and in the 1920s. File:Ange 12 douze 5272.JPG, An angel decorating the apse File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims 91.jpg, The apse File:Cathédrale ND de Reims - flèche (04).JPG, The

over the apse

Interior

Interior of the west wall

One distinctive feature of Reims Cathedral not found in other High Gothic cathedrals is the wall of sculpture on the inside of the west façade. Some of the statues, particularly around the doors, were badly damaged by fire after the bombardment of the church in 1914, but the wall has been substantially restored. Some of the sculpture continues the biblical stories illustrated on the west façade, such as the Apocalypse, while other themes are found only in the interior. Some scenes link Biblical events to more recent historical events; the wall illustrates the baptism of Christ by

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

, parallel with the baptism of Clovis by Saint Remigius. Particularly attention is given to local saints such as Nicasius. One celebrated scene is the communion of the knight; the Old Testament patriarch

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...

offers bread and wine to

Melchizedek In the Bible, Melchizedek (, hbo, , malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"), also transliterated Melchisedech or Malki Tzedek, was the king of Salem and priest of (often translated as "most high God"). He is f ...

in the medieval armor of a knight, a preview of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

in the New Testament. File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims 85.jpg, John the Baptist, Isaiah and David, reverse of West Facade File:F3414 Reims cathedrale rosace et portail central interieur rwk.jpg, Sculpture on the reverse of the West Facade File:Communion du chevalier Reims.jpg, The Communion of the Knight, on the reverse of West Facade

Nave

The nave, the central body of the church running from the west end to the transept, is the section where ordinary parishioners worship. It occupies about half the length of the church, and has exceptional length and unity of style. It is somewhat narrower than the adjoining transept and apse. Its height is made possible through the use of a newer and stronger four-part rib vault, reinforced by the flying buttresses outside. The four-part vaults also made it possible to have arcades of identical pillars, rather than the alternating pillars and piers of earlier Gothic churches such as

Sens Cathedral Sens Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Sens) is a Catholic cathedral in Sens in Burgundy, eastern France. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is the seat of the Archbishop of Sens. Sens was the first cathedral to be built in ...

and Notre-Dame de Paris, giving greater unity to the appearance. The elevation of the church was divided in three sections, following the model introduced slightly earlier in the 1190

Soissons Cathedral Soissons Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais'') is a Gothic basilica church in Soissons, France. It is the seat of the Bishop of Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin. The construction of the south transept was begun about ...

: high arcades on the ground floor, above that a narrower gallery called the

triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locat ...

, and above that tall windows, equal in height to the galleries. Reims combined this unity and simplicity with the enormous size and scale of the nave first introduced at Chartres Cathedral. The architects adapted another element from Chartres; the pillars of the arcade were composed of groups of colonettes clustered together around a pillar, rising dramatically as a group into the high arches of the vaults. The multiple lines of the colonettes greatly emphasised the sensation of height. The capitals of the columns were another distinctive Reims characteristic; they were composed of delicate floral and vegetal sculpture, decorated in places with imaginary creatures. File:Reims Notre Dame column detail - horse chestnut.jpg, Capitals of the clustered columns, here modelled after the leaves of sycamore (''Acer pseudoplatanus''). File:PA00078776-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims 1.jpg, Nave, looking east toward the choir File:Reims Cathedral, interior (4).jpg, Four-part rib vaults of the nave

Transept interior

The transept is the section of the cathedral between the nave and the choir, which extends on the north and south of the structure. The transept is both wider and higher than the nave, because it was originally intended to have four towers and a higher central tower. The four towers on the ends of the transept were begun but were not completed above the roofline. Four large piers are in place in the transept which were originally intended to support the central tower. The transept was reserved especially for the coronation ceremony of the French kings. A monumental rood screen, or ''jubé'', separated this portion of the church from the nave in the Middle Ages. The stalls for the ordinary clergy were located in the three sections of the nave just west of the transept, while the area just to the east of the transept was reserved for ceremonies and celebrations of the high clergy. The organ of the cathedral is locked on the north wall of the transept, just below the rose window. File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Nördliche Rosette & Orgel 1.jpg, The north transept, with the cathedral organ File:La pompeuse et magnifique cérémonie du sacre du roy Louis XIV – Gallica bpt6k15187209 f23 Seconde planche- Le roi est sacré par l'évêque de Soissons.jpg, The Coronation of Louis XIV in the transept of the cathedral (1654) File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Südliches Querschiff 1.jpg, Interior of the south transept, with rose window File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Hochaltar.jpg, The main altar, in the transept (copy of 1747 altar) The transept contains the main altar, made of French and Italian ''griotte'', or red marble. It is a copy of the original altar, made in 1747, and destroyed by the bombardment of the First World War. The Renaissance

retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structur ...

in the rosary chapel of the south transept is another notable work, filled with sculptures of the body of Christ on the knees of the Virgin Mary, and other figures of the apostles, Saint John and Saint Madeleine, and the donor of the retable, the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

Grandraoul. It was created by the Reims sculptor Pierre Jacques in 1541. On the northwest wall of the north transept in a medieval clock, dating to the 14th century. The clock is in the form of the façade of a church, with elaborate tracery, gables and carved angels. On the hour, a series of figures, representing the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the Biblical Magi appear and disappear from the doors on the face of the clock. It is one of the oldest examples of this kind of mechanical clock. Another unusual feature of the transept is the floor of the chapel on the south side. This includes a

mosaic, which was discovered under the floor of the archbishop's palace in 1845 and moved to its present location. File:Reims, cathedral, the astronomical clock.JPG, The 14th-century astronomical clock in the north transept File:Autel des apôtres 8651.JPG, Retable in the Rosary Chapel, south transept (16th c.)

Choir and chapels

The choir, the area of the cathedral traditionally reserved for the clergy, is much shorter than the nave, but is wider and higher. It features a double

ambulatory The ambulatory ( la, ambulatorium, ‘walking place’) is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th ...

, or walkway, that gives access to the five radiating chapels at the east end. An ornamental grille separates the ambulatory from the choir and the altar. The pillars around the ambulatory are massive single columns, with richly-decorated capitals, mixed with clustered columns, continuing the same program found in the nave. The dramatic arched vaults of the ambulatory spring directly from the columns. The five chapels at the east end are arranged like a horseshoe, placed between the massive supporting buttresses on the exterior. The chapel on the axis is the longest, and is preceded by an additional ceiling vault. The furnishings and decoration of the apse chapels date from between 1763 and 1777, under the cardinal-archbishop Charles Antoine de La Roche-Aymon. The chapel of the saint

, who had famously attended the coronation of Charles VI in the cathedral, contains her statue, dressed in full armour with a banner. It was made in 1901 by the sculptor

Prosper d'Épinay Charles Adrien Prosper Caïez d'Épinay (13 July 1836 – 23 September 1914) was a French sculptor and caricaturist (under the name Nemo). Many of his clients were from the nobility and royalty. He was sometimes referred to as the "sculpteur de so ...

. File:Galerie du choeur de la cathédrale de Reims.jpg, The gallery of the choir and radiating chapels File:Statue banniere jeanne d'arC 1004957.JPG, The statue of Joan of Arc in the chapel of her name File:Autel épiphanie 8954.JPG, The

and altar in the axial chapel

Organ

The original grand pipe organ in the cathedral dated to the 15th century but was largely destroyed by the fire of 1481. The organ-case was reconstructed in 1487 and reconstructed again in 1647. The grand organ is located in the north transept, just below the rose window, and is surmounted by a sculpture of Christ giving a blessing and two angels playing trumpet. The lower portion of the woodwork, with carved panels and pilasters, dates to the 18th century. The organ suffered further damage in the First World War, and was rebuilt again. It was inaugurated in 1938. It is the fifth largest in France, with six thousand six hundred pipes, eighty-five stops or distinct sounds played by four keyboards, sixty-one notes, and thirty-two foot pedals. It is used frequently for concerts. A smaller organ, installed in 1927, is installed in the choir.. File:Orgue Cathédrale de Reims.jpg, Grand organ in the north transept File:Ange droit orgue 04381.JPG, Decoration of the grand organ File:F3410 Reims cathedrale orgue rwk.jpg, Organ of the choir

Stained glass

Interior of west façade

In the interior of the west façade, much of the original glass remains, though it has gone through several restorations. The centre of the west rose window depicts the

Dormition of the Virgin The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac Rit ...

. It complements the scene of the crowning of the Virgin Mary in sculpture on the exterior of the façade The circles of glass

medallions Medallion or Medallions may refer to: * Medal (shortening of "medallion"), a carved or engraved circular piece of metal issued as a souvenir, award, work of art or fashion accessory * Medallion (architecture), a large round or oval ornament on a bu ...

in the window, from the centre outwards, represent the twelve apostles, angel musicians, and the kings and prophets of the Old Testament. The windows in the bays of the

, just below the rose window, depict the coronations of the kings of France, and are the stained glass equivalent of the gallery of kings on the façade. The windows in the west portals are more modern; the small rose over the central portal was made by Jacques Simon in 1938, and is devoted to scenes related to the Virgin Mary, while the glass in the lateral tympanums is from 1959, with scenes from the life of Christ. File:ND de Reims (rosace occidentale).jpg, West portal rose window File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Rosette 3.jpg, Detail of the west rose window

Nave

Up until the First World War, the upper windows of the nave preserved nearly all of their original glass. Each of the thirty-six windows depicted a bishop on the lower level, and a king of France on the upper level. The arcades depicted in glass over the heads of the kings were crowded with angels, suggesting that the kings were the earthly representatives of the

celestial kingdom In the Mormon theology and cosmology there are three degrees of glory (alternatively, kingdoms of glory) which are the ultimate, eternal dwelling place for nearly all who lived on earth after they are resurrected from the spirit world. Member ...

. Only four of these original windows survived intact in traverses eight to eleven of the Nave, in the two bays closest to the transept, protected by the towers of the transept. The others were recreated with a mixture of medieval and modern glass. File:Vitrail Evêque Cathédrale de Reims 100208 1.jpg, 13th-century nave window representing a bishop

Transept

The north rose window in the transept represents the biblical

Creation Creation may refer to: Religion *''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing * Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it * Creationism, the belief tha ...

, and still has much of its original 13th-century glass. The central figure is God the creator, matching the sculptural theme on the exterior of the transept. The Virgin Mary in the window is depicted as the

new Eve The New Eve (Latin: ''Nova Eva'') is a devotional title for Mary mother of Jesus. It is perhaps the most ancient doctrinal title given to Mary in the Early Church. Since the apostolic age, both Eastern and Western Church fathers have expressed thi ...

. The upper windows of the Transept are largely composed of white grisaille glass; many of which also date to the 13th century; these brought a maximum of light into the transept, the part of the cathedral used for the coronation ceremony. The lower windows of the south façade of the transept, in the Chapel of Saint Remi, have an unusual theme, particular to the region. They celebrate the role of the monk

Dom Perignon Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an ethn ...

in the history of the French wine industry, and the making of

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

and other local wines. The windows were created in the 1950s by Jacques Simon. Another group of unusual modern windows is found in the bays of the transept and the two right chapels of the choir. These are grisaille or white glass windows, in abstract patterns, conceived and painted by Brigitte Simon beginning in 1961. Reims, Große Fensterrose West.jpg, North transept rose window File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Südliche Rosette 2.jpg, South transept rose window File:Vitraux - Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims.jpg, Windows celebrating the monk

and the local French champagne industry File:Transept sud RDC 04794.JPG, Abstract grisaille window by Brigitte Simon

Choir and chapel windows

A few of the higher windows in the Choir have their original 13th-century glass, though most have been heavily restored or reassembled. One example is the window depicting the archbishop Henri de Braine, in the axial chapel of the Choir. Some of the best-known windows in the cathedral are modern, and are found in the axial chapel at the east end of the cathedral. These are the three windows made by Marc Chagall in association with glass artist Charles Marq. They represent the Tree of Jesse (the genealogy of Christ); the Old and New Testament; and the "Grandes Heures de Reims". File:Reims ND3 tango7174.jpg, Windows of the three high bays of the axial chapel File:Reims Cathédrale Notre-Dame Innen Axialkapelle Kapellenfenster.jpg, Windows by Marc Chagall in the Axial chapel File:Henri de Braine, archibishop.jpg, Archbishop Henri de Braine, in the axial chapel

Episcopal palace and treasury

The episcopal palace, known as the

, adjoins the cathedral on the south side of the apse. It was the residence of the archbishop, and also was the setting for the banquet given in honour of the new kings of France after their coronation. The episcopal palace has its own chapel, in the

style, directly alongside the cathedral. It has no collateral aisles and three levels, with tall lancet windows, and is more sober in its decoration than the neighbouring cathedral. It previously had its own flèche or spire, a symbol of the status of an archbishop. The adjoining residential wing was originally constructed in the

Flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

style, but was largely reconstructed between 1686 and 1693 by the architect Robert de Cotte in a more classical style, including a triangular fronton over its façade a monumental double stairway. The upper floor of this wing contains the hall used for the coronation banquets. File:Où paissent les brebis 04221.JPG, Bride meets the groom, in the "Song of Songs" Tapestry (16th century) File:Palais du Tau et cathédrale.jpg, The

, or archiepiscopal palace, with its chapel on the right File:Anne et Marie 04260.JPG, Tapestry from the Life of the Virgin Series (16th century) The cathedral art collection includes a very fine collection of tapestries, which formerly hung in the choir of the cathedral, and now are displayed in the cathedral aisles in summer season and in the Palace of Tau during the rest of the year. Two tapestries, made in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

, depict scenes from life of the Clovis. They were presented, as part of a larger set to the cathedral in 1573 by Cardinal Charles of Lorraine. Another set of tapestries was presented to the cathedral in 1530 by

Robert de Lenoncourt Robert de Lenoncourt (1485? – 4 February 1561) was a French bishop, Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal, and diplomat. He was the son of Thierry de Lenoncourt, Seigneur de Vignory, Councillor and Chamberlain of the King, and Jeanne de Ville. He ...

, archbishop under

(1515–1547). They are of either local or possibly Flemish manufacture, and represent the

life of the Virgin The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the ...

, and the how her role may have been prefigured in the Old Testament. The cathedral treasury contains an important collection of precious objects, particularly reliquaries, some of which were used in coronations or donated by French monarchs at the time of their coronation. These include the

(), the successor of the ancient one that contained the oil with which French kings were anointed. It was broken during the

, but a fragment is contained in the present flask. The Talisman of Charlemagne (12th century), contains a purported fragment of the

True Cross The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...

, and is decorated with sapphires, gold, emeralds and pearls. The "Chalice of Saint Remigius" is said to be the cup used in the coronation of Clovis, and was used in later coronations. It is a 12th-century cup adorned in the 19th century with pearls and precious stones. File:Talisman de Charlemagne 6032.JPG, The talisman of Charlemagne (12th century) File:Calice du sacre Tau.jpg, The chalice of Saint Remigius, used at French coronations (12th and 19th c.) File:Reliquaire de Ste Ursule Tau.jpg, Detail of the reliquary of

Saint Ursula Saint Ursula (Latin for 'little female bear', german: link=no, Heilige Ursula) is a legendary Romano-British Christian saint who died on 21 October 383. Her feast day in the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar is 21 October. There is little in ...

(16th century)

800th anniversary

In 2011, the city of Reims celebrated the cathedral's 800th anniversary. The celebrations ran from 6 May to 23 October. Concerts, street performances, exhibitions, conferences, and a series of evening light shows highlighted the cathedral and its 800th anniversary. In addition, six new stained glass windows designed by

Imi Knoebel Imi Knoebel (/i:mi: kno:ʊbəl/) (born Klaus Wolf Knoebel; 1940) is a German artist. Knoebel is known for his minimalist, abstract painting and sculpture. The "Messerschnitt" or "knife cuts," are a recurring technique he employs, along with his ...

, a German artist, were inaugurated on June 25, 2011. The six windows cover an area of and are positioned on both sides of the Chagall windows in the apse of the cathedral.

Gallery

Domenico Quaglio (1787 - 1837), Die Kathedrale von Reims.jpg, ''The Cathedral of Reims'', by

Domenico Quaglio the Younger Domenico Quaglio the Younger (January 1, 1787 – April 9, 1837) was a German painter, engraver, stage designer, and architect. He was the second son of Giuseppe Quaglio and part of the large Quaglio pedigree of Italian artists involved in a ...

Cathédrale de Reims — Tour nord.jpg, North tower Reims Cathedrale Notre Dame interior 002.JPG, Rose windows, west end Cathedrale de Reims 1.jpg, Interior view, west rose Cathédrale de Reims — Orgue.jpg, Organ Cathédrale de Reims — Autel central.jpg, Central altar Cathédrale de Reims — Vitrail ouest du collatéral nord.jpg, Stained-glass at the west end of the northern aisle Rêve de couleurs 122.JPG, The Cathedral of Reims at night ''Rêve de couleurs'' Carillon cathédrale de reims 057.jpg, Roof details Reimscathedralecharpente.JPG, Support structure of the roof Labyrinthe Gaucher Jean Lou Jean d'Orbais Bernard de Soissons dessin jacques Cellier XVIe html m7e77111d.jpg, The labyrinth of the cathedral Remi Clovis Reims.jpg, Paving stone in cathedral nave commemorating baptism of Clovis by Saint Remi Reims Cathedral-1.jpg, Main gate Reims Cathedral-2.jpg, Golden eagle VillardButtressReims.jpg,

Villard de Honnecourt Villard de Honnecourt (''Wilars dehonecort'', ''Vilars de Honecourt'') was a 13th-century artist from Picardy in northern France. He is known to history only through a surviving portfolio or "sketchbook" containing about 250 drawings and designs ...

's drawing of a flying buttress at Reims, ca. 1230s (

Bibliothèque nationale A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

) Pinacle.cathedrale.Reims.png,

Flying buttress The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey lateral forces to the ground that are necessary to pu ...

with pinnacle and a statue Reims Notre Dame English marker.jpg, Marker in memory of World War I CathedraleReimsGargouille0001 01.jpg, Gargoyle on the west facade

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

English-language references

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

French-language references

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

News sources

* *

Online references

* * * * * * * *

External links

Official websiteTowers of the cathedral – Official websiteReims Cathedral on French cultural website
(culture.fr) *
Photographs of Reims at kunsthistorie.com360 degrees panoramas
*Poems by

Florence Earle Coates Florence Van Leer Earle Nicholson Coates (July 1, 1850 – April 6, 1927) was an American poet, whose prolific output was published in many literary magazines, some of it set to music. She was mentored by the English poet Matthew Arnold, with wh ...

: "

Rheims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

", " The Smile of Reims" {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1275 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France World Heritage Sites in France Roman Catholic churches in Reims Reims Landmarks in France Coronation church buildings Gothic architecture in France Churches completed in 1275 Burned buildings and structures in France Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux

History

5th century – the Merovingian Cathedral

9th century – the Carolingian cathedral

12th century – the Early Gothic cathedral

13th–14th century – the High Gothic cathedral

15th–16th century

17th–18th century

19th century

20th century – First World War and restoration

Timeline of Reims Cathedral

Plan

Exterior

West façade

West portals

Towers

Transept

Walls and buttresses

Apse

Interior

Interior of the west wall

Nave

Transept interior

Choir and chapels

Organ

Stained glass

Interior of west façade

Nave

Transept

Choir and chapel windows

Episcopal palace and treasury

800th anniversary

Gallery

See also

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

English-language references

French-language references

News sources

Online references

External links