Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims
This mighty cathedral has survived the centuries (it was damaged but left standing when the city was bombed to smithereens in World War I) and today draws tourists (and the faithful) from far and wide who come to admire its magnificent Gothic architecture and elaborate statuary, not to mention some stunning stained glass windows, including three by Marc Chagall in the axial chapel. The official setting for royal coronations for a thousand years, perhaps its most dramatic moment was the one engineered by Joan of Arc. Instructed by voices, the teenage shepherdess made it her mission to get Charles VII back on the throne, and to get the English out of France. Though she accomplished the first here at Reims in 1429, she was unfortunately burned at the stake before she could complete the second.
Back in the 5th century, France’s first king, Clovis I, was baptized by St-Rémi in a small church on this site, giving the site a royal reputation that would follow it through the centuries. The current cathedral dates from the 13th century, and harbors 2,303 statues carved into its facades and decorating its interior. Its western and northern facades are graced with elaborate portals carved with hundreds of saints and angels. Inside, the narrow nave reaches 38 meters (125 ft.) giving the impression that the soaring arches reach all the way to heaven.
This mighty cathedral has survived the centuries (it was damaged but left standing when the city was bombed to smithereens in World War I) and today draws tourists (and the faithful) from far and wide who come to admire its magnificent Gothic architecture and elaborate statuary, not to mention some stunning stained glass windows, including three by Marc Chagall in the axial chapel. The official setting for royal coronations for a thousand years, perhaps its most dramatic moment was the one engineered by Joan of Arc. Instructed by voices, the teenage shepherdess made it her mission to get Charles VII back on the throne, and to get the English out of France. Though she accomplished the first here at Reims in 1429, she was unfortunately burned at the stake before she could complete the second.
Back in the 5th century, France’s first king, Clovis I, was baptized by St-Rémi in a small church on this site, giving the site a royal reputation that would follow it through the centuries. The current cathedral dates from the 13th century, and harbors 2,303 statues carved into its facades and decorating its interior. Its western and northern facades are graced with elaborate portals carved with hundreds of saints and angels. Inside, the narrow nave reaches 38 meters (125 ft.) giving the impression that the soaring arches reach all the way to heaven.
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