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Roman remains

It is popularly supposed to have been erected by the Remi in honour of Augustus when Agrippa made the great roads terminating at the town, but probably belongs to the 3rd or 4th century.

In its vicinity a curious mosaic, measuring 36 ft. by 26, with thirty-five medallions representing animals and gladiators, was discovered in 1860.

To these remains must be added a Gallo Roman sarcophagus, said to be that of the consul Jovinus (see below) and preserved in the archaeological museum in the cloister of the abbey of Saint-Remi.

Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims    

Reims is well known for its cathedral, where the kings of France used to be crowned.

Façade of Notre-Dame de Reims

Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, the Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and the Palace of Tau were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991.

Palace of Tau    

The archiepiscopal palace, built between 1498 and 1509, and in part rebuilt in 1675, was occupied by the kings on the occasion of their coronation. The saloon (salle du Tau), where the royal banquet was held, has an immense stone chimney of the 15th century.

The chapel of the archiepiscopal palace consists of two storeys, of which the upper still serves as a place of worship. Both the chapel and the salle du Tau are decorated with tapestries of the 17th century, known as the Perpersack tapestries, after the Flemish weaver who executed them.

The palace has been opened to the public in 1972 as a museum containing such exhibits as statues formerly displayed by the cathedral, treasures of the cathedral from past centuries, and royal attire from coronations of French kings.

Saint Remi of Reims Basilica    

Saint Remi Basilica,an easy one-mile walk from the Cathedral of Notre Dame of Reims, is named for the 5th century saint Rémi who has been the patron saint of the inhabitants of Reims for more than 15 centuries. The basilica is almost equal in size to the cathedral.

Adjacent to the basilica is an important abbey, formerly known as the Royal Abbey of St. Remi. The abbey sought to trace its heritage back to St. Remi, while the present abbey building dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Saint Remi Basilica

The St Remi Basilica dates from the 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th centuries. Most of the church was constructed by the 11th century, with additions made in later centuries.

The nave and transepts, Romanesque in style, date mainly from the earliest, the façade of the south transept from the latest of those periods, the choir and apse chapels from the 12th and 13th centuries. More additions were made in the 17th and 19th centuries.

The building was greatly damaged in World War I, and was rebuilt from the ruins in the following 40 years through the meticulous restoration work of architect Henri Deneux. It is still the seat of an active Catholic parish holding regular worship services and welcoming pilgrims.

It has been classified as an historical monument since 1841 and is one of the pinnacles of the history of art and of the history of France.

The abbey building is now open to the public as the Saint-Remi Museum. The abbey was closed in the wake of the French Revolution, as all French monasteries were ordered dissolved in February 1790.

The museum exhibits at St. Remi include tapestries from the 16th century given by Robert de Lenoncourt, marble capitals from the 4th century AD, furniture, jewellery, pottery, weapons and glasswork from the 6th to 8th century AD, medieval sculpture, the facade of the 13th century Musicians' House, remnants from an earlier abbey building, and also exhibits of Gallo-Roman arts and crafts and a room of pottery, jewelry, and weapons from Gallic civilization, as well as an exhibit of items from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period.

Buried in the monastery are the archbishops of Reims, several kings and princes.

• Carloman King (751-771), Charlemagne's brother
• Queen Frederonne d. 917, wife of Charles III (879-929)
• Queen Gerberge of Saxony (910-984), wife of King Louis IV
• Henri d'Orléans (d. about 1653)
• Lothair I, (941-986)
• King Louis IV (921-954)

Streets and squares     

Of its squares, the principal are the Place Royale, with a statue of Louis XV, and the Place Cardinal-Luçon, with an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc. The Rue de Vesle, the chief street, continued under other names, traverses the town from southwest to northwest, passing through the Place Royale.

Place Drouet d'Erlon in the city centre is packed with lively restaurants and bars, and several attractive statues and fountains. During the summer it is filled with people sitting outside the many cafés enjoying the summer sun, and in December it has a lively and charming Christmas market.

Forts     

In 1874 the construction of a chain of detached forts was begun in the vicinity, Reims being selected as one of the chief defences of the northern approaches of Paris. The ridge of St Thierry is crowned with a fort of the same name, which with the neighbouring work of Chenay closes the west side of the place.

To the north the hill of Brimont has three works guarding the Laon railway and the Aisne canal. Farther east, on the old Roman road, lies the fort de Fresnes. Due east the hills of Arnay are crowned with five large and important works which cover the approaches from the upper Aisne.

Forts Pompelle and Montbré close the south-east side, and the Falaise hills on the Paris side are open and unguarded. The perimeter of the defences is not quite 22 miles, and the forts are a mean distance of 6 miles from the centre of the city.

Other Buildings     

The Church of St Jacques was built from the 13th to the 16th centuries. A few blocks from the cathedral, it is now surrounded by a vibrant neighborhood of shopping and restaurants. What remains of the Abbey of St. Denis is now a Fine Arts Museum.

The old College of the Jesuits is also now a museum. St Maurice (partly rebuilt in 1867), St André, and St Thomas (erected from 1847 to 1853, under the patronage of Cardinal Gousset, now buried within its walls), are of some interest.

Town Hall

The town hall, erected in the 17th and enlarged in the 19th century, has a pediment with an equestrian statue of Louis XIII, and a tall and elegant campanile.

The Surrender Museum is the location where on May 7, 1945, General Eisenhower and the Allies received the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht.

Credits : This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Reims".