The Buildings of Reims

THE CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME

This magnificent church was begun May 6, 1211, the foundation stone being laid on that date on the site of an earlier edifice burned in 1210. The work was pushed so rapidly that the choir was completed and occupied September 7, 1241. The architect was Jean d'Orbais, to whom the initial conception is due, and who continued in charge to 1231. He was succeeded by Jean Le Loup (1231-1247), who completed the choir and about 1240 undertook the façade of the north transept. Gaucher de Reims (1247-1255) apparently began the west portals towards 1255, before the nave was completed. Bernard de Soissons (1255-1290) built the five west bays of the nave and the great west rose window. He was succeeded by Robert de Coucy, who died in 1311, to whom is attributed the towers and the upper parts of the west front. The roof and upper parts of the cathedral were heavily damaged by fire in 1481, but repairs were speedily carried out. Restored several times in the nineteenth century, new restorations were in progress until the time of the first bombardment.

The cathedral is a vast and splendid church, with a nave of nine bays, transepts with aisles, and a rather short choir, surrounded with five chapels. There are no nave chapels. The decorations are of great magnificence, the external sculptures, especially those of the great west portals and the portals of the north transept, being most elaborate, and including some of the finest mediæval sculptures in France. The interior is noted for the arcaded screen applied to the west end of the nave, surrounding the central doorway, consisting of a series of niches with statues. The foliated capitals of the nave piers also deserve mention. The glass of the windows, which suffered some unfortunate changes in the XVIII century, was of extraordinary beauty and interest, and ranked among the finest in France; most of it was destroyed in the bombardment. The cathedral had a superb collection of tapestries, fortunately removed to Paris before the fire. The Treasury of the cathedral contained many rare and beautiful objects.

Notwithstanding the numerous and heavy bombardments to which the cathedral has been subjected, the statue of Jeanne d'Arc by Paul Dubois, erected in the open space before the cathedral (Place du Parvis) in 1896, has not yet been touched by shells. The sculpture of the west front and of other exposed parts were heavily protected by sand bags immediately after the first bombardment.

Palais Archiépiscopal

Immediately adjoins the south transept of the cathedral. Repaired and rebuilt many times. The oldest surviving portion is the chapel called the "Chapelle Palatine," built in two stories, and attributed to Jean d'Orbais, the architect of the cathedral. It lost its roof early in the bombardment. The great hall of the place, called the "Salle du Tau" was built at the end of the XV century; it contains a Gothic chimneypiece dating from 1498. The apartments of the King consisting of five rooms, restored in 1825, were richly decorated. The palace was totally destroyed in the bombardment.

THE ABBEY CHURCH OF ST. REMI

One of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in northern France. The larger part of its structure dates from 1005 to 1049, having been built in three efforts within that time. The choir, with its fine circlet of radiating chapels, was built between 1170 and 1190. The south transept front was rebuilt in 1506. The church has been many times repaired and its form and structure modified. The west front was so completely modified after 1840 that only the two lower stages remain of the earlier building. The building is of vast size, and the upper windows contained some remarkable glass. The tomb of St. Remi, the bishop of Reims who baptized Clovis, and which for centuries was a famous place of pilgrimage, was built in 1847, replacing an earlier monument destroyed in the Revolution, which, in its turn, replaced an earlier memorial.

ST. JACQUES

Of the church begun in 1190 and continued in the first years of the XII century, only fragmentary parts remain. It was partially reconstructed at the beginning of the XIV century. The choir and its chapels date from the XVI century. The lantern of the crossing replaced a Gothic spire removed in 1711, and the north transept and other parts were rebuilt in 1854.

ST. MAURICE

The choir, dating from 1627, is flanked by a beautiful flamboyant chapel built towards 1546. The nave is modern.

MODERN CHURCHES

St. André, built between 1857 and 1864.—St. Thomas, built in 1847.—St. Geneviève, built in 1877.—St. Clotilde, built in commemoration of the fourteenth centenary of the baptism of Clovis (496-1896).—St. Benoît and St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle are very recent churches.

HÔTEL DE VILLE

The fine Hôtel de Ville was commenced in 1627 on the plans of a native architect, Jean Bonhomme. Begun with the left pavilion, the main façade, with the central pavilion and its tower, were completed by 1630. Left incomplete for nearly two centuries, the right pavilion was added in 1823-1825 by Serrurier, also an architect of Reims. Great additions and new buildings around a central court were added between 1875 and 1880. The relief of Louis XIII in the central pediment by Milhomme, placed in 1818, occupies the place of an earlier one by Nicolas Jacques, placed in 1636 and destroyed in the Revolution. The building contained the Museum and Public Library of Reims. Destroyed by fire, May 3, 1917. The more valuable books of the library, and the departmental archives had long before been placed in safety elsewhere.

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

The Place Royale, begun in 1757, is closed on one side by the Hôtel des Fermes, a stately edifice with a central pediment supported by columns. In the centre of the Place is a statue of Louis XV by Cartellier, replacing an earlier statue by Pigalle, inaugurated in 1765 and destroyed in the Revolution. Two allegorical groups by Pigalle for the pedestal survived.

Maison des Musiciens, dating from the time of St. Louis, has a remarkable façade of large twin-windows alternating with trilobed niches containing seated statues of musicians, larger than life size. Purchased by the city and by public subscription in 1905.

Reims contains two other dwellings of the XIII century. A larger house in the Rue de Tambour, with a completely modernized interior, offers a façade of much interest, notwithstanding a repair in 1832.—Another house, in the Rue de Sedan, is a simple artisan's dwelling, retaining almost intact its gabled façade of the end of the XIII century.—A Gothic building in the same street, transformed into a school in 1890, retains parts of the XVI and XVII centuries.—A house in the Rue de Vesle has a façade of the XIV century, destroyed and burned by the bombardment of September 19, 1914.—Fragments of the former priory of St. Bernard remain in the same street behind a modern store front.—A house in the Rue de la Grue is an interesting type of the end of the XVII century; ruined in bombardment of September 19, 1914.

Hôtel de Bezannes, a large dwelling of the middle of the XV century, was probably built by Pierre de Bezannes, lieutenant of the inhabitants of Reims (1450-1467), whose arms remain on the buildings of the court. It became a school in 1901.

Hôtel Le Vergeur, a large building retaining fragments of all styles since the end of the XIII century.—The Maison du Long-Vêtu, the birthplace of Colbert, the celebrated minister of Louis XIV, has a façade of the middle ages, and another of the XVII century.—A hotel of the XV century, in the Rue de Pouilly, was the dwelling of an uncle of Colbert's. It is now the house of the Sœurs de l'Espérance; a part of the façade was demolished in 1908.—Pavilion de Muire, built by Nicolas Noel, lord of Muire, towards 1565, a remarkable structure in the style of Henri III.—Hôtel de Montlaurent of the XVI century, has lost much of its interior interest, but the court offers some of the primitive decoration.—Hôtel de la Salle, the birthplace of J. B. de la Salle, is one of the most beautiful types of domestic Renaissance architecture in Reims; the façade bears the date 1545.—Cour Mopinot has a portico of the XVI century.—Hôtel Thiret de Prin was built under Henri IV; Richelieu lived in this building during his sojourn in Reims in 1641.—Maison de l'Ecu de Reims bears the date 1652.—Maison de Jean Maillefer, built in 1651.—Hôtel Lagoille de Courtagnon has a façade of the XVII century.—Hôtel Rogier, built towards 1750; sold at public auction, in January, 1914.—Two wooden houses with pointed gables of the end of the XV century, are in the Place des Marchés.—An inscription on the Hôtel de la Maison-Rouge states that the father and mother of Jeanne d'Arc were lodged in this building at public expense in 1429, at the coronation of Charles VII. It was then known as the Ane Rayé.—The Société des Amis du Vieux Reims maintained an extensive collection of objects relating to Reims in the former Hôtel Coquebert.

The Porte de Mars, a Roman triumphal arch of three arches, is the most considerable monument in Reims dating from Roman times.

EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

Grand Séminaire, occupies the buildings of the former abbey of St. Denis. The original parts are of the time of Louis XV; they were considerably modified and added to in 1822, when the seminary took possession of them. It later served as the Musée des Beaux-Arts, inaugurated in 1913.

The Lycée occupies the buildings of the University or college founded by the Cardinal of Lorraine in the XVI century, and rebuilt in 1676. Although greatly changed, the interior court, half wood, half masonry, retains the original aspect of the XVI century. Much new construction was added at the end of the last century.

HOSPITALS

Hôtel-Dieu [Civil Hospital], founded by archbishop Hincmar in 848, was transferred to the buildings of the abbey of St. Remi in 1827. Repaired and rebuilt at various times, they retain few vestiges of the middle ages. They were partly renewed after a fire in 1774. Burned in the bombardment of August 13, 1916.—Hôpital General, occupies the former college of the Jesuits, the older parts dating from the XVII century. The former library, now the linen room, is an apartment of some magnificence. It adjoins the church of St. Maurice.—Hôpital St. Marcoul, or home for incurables, dates from about 1650; it was added to in 1651, 1869 and 1873.—Maison de Retraite, a modern foundation due to bequests and munificent gifts.

OTHER BUILDINGS

Palais de Justice, built in 1845, on the site of the old Hôtel Dieu; a new façade was recently added.—Théâtre, built between 1866-1873.—Chambre de Commerce occupies the former Hôtel Clicquot-Ponsardin, in the style of Louis XVI.