The Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Reims
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Reims, France. Photo credit: G.GaritanDerivative: User:MathKnight, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
About 90 miles (140 km) northeast of Paris, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims is a testament to centuries of history, an architectural gem, a draw for tourists and pilgrims, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The earliest record of human settlement in the city that is now Reims dates to the Gauls, who were subdued by the Romans. Its prominence as a provincial Roman capital made it the destination of Saint Sixtus who was sent from Rome in the 3rd century A.D. to spread Christianity. The church location moved to its present setting in the early 5th century and was named in honor of the Virgin Mary. Clovis, King of the Franks, was baptized in the Cathedral in December 496, setting the precedent for the Reims Cathedral to serve as the coronation site for future kings.
The close relationship between the church in Rome and the French monarchy endured for centuries with the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims serving as the coronation site for more than 30 kings of France. In 816, the sole surviving son of Charlemagne, Louis the Pious, was crowned Emperor by Pope Stephen IV at the cathedral. Work began shortly thereafter to enlarge and enhance the building, an unofficial tradition that would be continued by subsequent kings. The magnificence of the cathedral itself as well as its statuary and interior relics served as visual reminders that the king was considered to represent divine authority. Starting with Henri I in 1027, all but seven subsquent coronations took place at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims through that of Charles X in 1825.
The cathedral played an important role during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. By the 1420s, England controlled the northern part of France while debate and divided loyalties among claimants to the French throne and their supporters fueled hostilities. The peasant girl who would enter history as Joan of Arc appealed to the Dauphin Charles for his blessing and resources to confront the English at Orléans, where the French forces prevailed. French momentum pushed northward to recapture English territory and allow the coronation of Charles VII at the Reims Cathedral in July 1429.
Annunciation sculpture, north portal of Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Reims, France. Photo credit: DIMSFIKAS at Greek Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In addition to the pomp and glory of coronation ceremonies and expansions prompted by ambitious archbishops, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims experienced repeated episodes of upheaval and renovation over the years. A 12th century expansion that incorporated elements inspired by the Basilica St. Denis near Paris was short-lived since the cathedral was consumed by fire in 1210. Its ensuing reconstruction began almost immediately and would continue through the end of the century with a hiatus for several years during the 1230s, when unrest between the church and townspeople escalated into violence that caused clergy to flee and the church to temporarily suspend operations. The completed cathedral remained relatively intact despite an English siege in 1359-1360 and English rule from 1415 to 1429, but suffered significant damage from another fire in 1481 and underwent another period of repairs.
Stained glass windows by Marc Chagall in the Cathedral Notre-Dame, Reims, France. Photo credit: Peter Lucas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A significant restoration of the cathedral was undertaken during the 1740s, half a century before revolutionaries deconsecrated the cathedral and declared it to be a Temple of Reason, destroying much of the interior furnishings and symbols of the monarchy. After the Bourbon Restoration, Charles X was the last French king to be crowned at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims.
Throughout the 19th century, various areas of the cathedral were gradually restored. Reims was occupied during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, but the cathedral remained intact. Peace and the cathedral complex itself were shattered by the outbreak of the First World War. Notre-Dame was initially transformed into a hospital but was not spared from the German shelling that started in September 1914. Over the pleas of the abbot, German officers who had moved their wounded men into the cathedral, and Pope Benedict XV, attacks continued to pummel the city and the church buildings. The bishop’s palace was destroyed and the roof of the cathedral was repeatedly hit, melting its lead structure as well as the bells, burning the wooden supports, causing significant damage to the walls and sculptures, and inflicting additional human casualties.
The ruins of the Reims cathedral became a potent symbol of German targeting of French culture and history, and after the war’s end, many felt that it should be left in its ravaged state as a reminder of the conflict’s victims and horrors. A national law enacted in 1919 advocated for the restoration of damaged monuments, lending support to the movement to rebuild Notre-Dame de Reims. Its lengthy history and unique story garnered donations from around the world, notably from the Rockefeller Foundation, which provided funds not only for Reims but other French monuments. The cathedral was reopened in 1938 and was relatively untouched during the Second World War. In 1962, after pan-European unity efforts were underway, French President Charles de Gaulle and German chancellor Konrad Adenauer jointly attended a service there in a much more positive symbol of French-German relations.
Some of the medieval stained glass windows that had been preserved can be seen in the cathedral today, such as the 13th-century rose windows on the west facade interior and those of the transept. The cathedral has also incorporated 20th-century stained glass showing themes that are consistent with the original windows by artists such as Jacques Simon and his daughter Brigitte Simon-Marq, Marc Chagall, and German artist Imi Knoebel. The work of the latter was dedicated in 2015 and underwritten by the German government signifying another step in the long and successful reconciliation between France and Germany. In recognition of the cathedral’s historical importance and artistic value as a prime example of Gothic architecture, in 1991 UNESCO named the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims and its adjacent former Abbey of St.-Rémi and Palace of Tau as a World Heritage Site.
Jeu de français
The repeated expansion and renovation of the Reims Cathedral speaks to its value as a historical, religious, and civic site. The cathedral also represents a magnificent example of medieval architecture and sculpture. Find seven French words relating to cathedrals and their role in history in the word search below.
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