Cattedrale di Reims (1211): la chiesa dell’incoronazione dei re di Francia e l’Angelo del Sorriso
Per seicento anni, da Luigi VIII a Carlo X, i re di Francia furono incoronati qui — venticinque sacre, l’ampolla del crisma che la tradizione faceva risalire al battesimo di Clodoveo, e Giovanna d’Arco accanto a Carlo VII nel 1429. Sulla facciata, un angelo sorride da otto secoli.
At a glance
Notre-Dame de Reims, in Champagne 140 km east of Paris, was for six centuries the coronation church of the kings of France. Begun in 1211 to replace a cathedral lost to fire, it is one of the masterpieces of High Gothic, famous for the harmony of its architecture and the brilliance of its sculpture — above all the “Smiling Angel,” emblem of the city. Twenty-five French kings were crowned here, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825, anointed with chrism from the Holy Ampulla that tradition traced to the baptism of Clovis. UNESCO inscribed the cathedral in 1991, together with the Palace of Tau and the former Abbey of Saint-Remi.
Key facts
- UNESCO: World Heritage since 1991 (Notre-Dame, the Palace of Tau, and the former Abbey of Saint-Remi)
- Coronation church: 25 kings of France crowned here, from Louis VIII (1223) to Charles X (1825); Joan of Arc stood beside Charles VII at his coronation in 1429
- Begun 1211: after a fire of 1210; first architect Jean d’Orbais; High Gothic, built largely through the 13th century
- The Smiling Angel: l’Ange au Sourire, the city’s emblem; many original statues are now sheltered in the Palace of Tau, with copies on the facade
- Holy Ampulla: the Sainte Ampoule, holding chrism said to date from the baptism of Clovis by Bishop Remigius, was used to anoint the kings; it was kept at the Abbey of Saint-Remi
- 20th-century wounds: the cathedral was shelled and burned in 1914 during the First World War, then restored, partly with American (Rockefeller) funding
History
Reims had been a coronation place since the early Middle Ages, by virtue of the baptism of the Frankish king Clovis by Bishop Remigius around the year 500 — an event that bound the French monarchy to the Church and to this city. The Gothic cathedral begun in 1211 was conceived as the proper stage for that sacred rite: a soaring, sculpture-rich church whose west front and interior were designed for the long processions of the sacre. From Louis VIII onward, almost every French king came here to be anointed and crowned.
The cathedral’s darkest hour came in September 1914, when German shelling set the scaffolding and roof ablaze and damaged the sculpture. International outrage and a long restoration — aided by a Rockefeller gift — brought it back; it reopened in 1938. Today the cathedral, the archbishop’s Palace of Tau (where coronation banquets were held, now a museum) and the Abbey of Saint-Remi form a single World Heritage ensemble.
What you see
The west front is a wall of sculpture: the famous gallery of figures, the rose window, and the doorways whose jamb-statues include the smiling angel and the dramatic group of the Visitation and Annunciation — some of the finest Gothic carving in France. Inside, the long nave leads to the choir where the kings were crowned; the upper windows include modern glass by Marc Chagall (1974) in the axial chapel, alongside the surviving medieval glazing.
A few steps away, the Palace of Tau holds the original statues brought down for safety, the coronation regalia and tapestries; and across the city the Basilica of Saint-Remi, a vast Romanesque-Gothic church, guards the tomb of the bishop who baptised Clovis.
Practical information
- Visiting: the cathedral is free; the Palace of Tau (museum) and the tower climbs are ticketed (Centre des monuments nationaux)
- Combined visit: cathedral + Palace of Tau + Basilica/Musée Saint-Remi together tell the coronation story
- Time needed: half a day for the ensemble
Getting there
TGV trains from Paris-Est reach Reims in about 45 minutes; the cathedral is a 10-minute walk from the centre. GPS: 49.2538° N, 4.0339° E.
Nearby
- Palais du Tau — the former archbishop’s palace and coronation hall, now the cathedral museum (UNESCO)
- Basilique Saint-Remi — the great Romanesque abbey church and the tomb of Saint Remigius (UNESCO)
- Champagne houses — the chalk cellars (crayères) of Reims, part of the Champagne UNESCO listing
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of Tau, Reims” (ref. 601)
- Cathédrale de Reims / Centre des monuments nationaux (cathedrale-reims.fr)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Reims Cathedral
Find it on the map
See this place and what’s around it →📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto