Description Architects: • Bernard de Soisson • Robert de Coucy • Collard de Givry • Jean le Loup. • Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (renovation) • Henri Deneux (renovation) • Arveuf (renovation) • Eugène Millet (renovation) • Ruprich-Robert (renovation)
• This Cathedral was the place of French kings coronations, in memory of the Clovis' batpism here by Saint Remi in 496. From 1027 to 1825 all coronations of the French kings, except for Louis VI and Henry IV, took place in it or in one of the preceding churches. In the present cathedral, exactly 25 French kings were crowned, starting with Louis VIII the Lion in 1223.
• One of the principal examples of Gothic architecture, it has Middle Ages' sculpture around its portals and on the interior west wall including the famous Smiling Angel statue.
• Marc Chagall designed contemporary stained-glass windows replacing by local craftsmen windows damaged in war, for example, a major damage during a fire in 1481 as well as during WWI.
• Viollet-le-Duc and others made major renovations in the 19th Century. More recently the Angel Tower, which was lost in 1481, was rebuilt.
• After the foundation stone of the present cathedral was laid in 1211, construction was as followed:
- Jean d'Orbais led it for about 20 years,
- Jean-de-Loup led it for about 16 years,
- Gaucher-de-Rheims, builder of the West Porch,
- Bernard de Soissons completed for 35 years the nave and the main rose window,
- Robert de Coucy (d. 1311).
• The cathedral, imagined by architect, should have got seven spiral towers: two at the west façade, one at the nave-transept crossing, two at the north transept and two at the south transept.
• At the end of the 13th century, the interior was completed and the façade rose above the great rose window.
• During the 14th and 15th century construction work was at a low level, because of political instability and wars (Hundred Years War).
• The greater rose window (late 13th century) above the main porch represents the ascension of Our Lady. The small rose window (1936) above the main porch depicts the glorification of Mary.
• The oldest preserved stained glass windows (1235) are the high windows of the apse.
• The rose window on the south wall of the transept, with the theme the reunification of Christ and Mary in heaven, has been restored two times:
- in 1580 by Nicolas Dérodé after a hurricane,
- in 1937 by Jacques Simon.
• The choir windows were constructed in the second quarter of the 13th century.
• The transept arms (the east and west walls of the transept) never had stained-glass windows, in order to allow more light in the cathedral. Instead, those windows were decorated with grisailles.
• The rose window above the northern porch (north transept) was placed slightly later than the apse high windows. The 'Creation' is the theme of this rose window.
• The nine windows of the triforium date from 14th century. The theme of these windows is 'Coronation of a King'.
• According to plan, the unfinished towers at the western façade should have reached a height of 120 m.
• The southern tower has two huge bells. The biggest one is named “Charlotte” and has a weight of about 10 metric tons.
• The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Specifications:
- Total Length: 149.17 m.
- Internal Length: 138.67m.
- Nave Length: 115m.
- Nave Width: 14.65 m.
- The vault height of the great nave: 38 m.
- The vault height of the side aisles: 16.40m.
- Outside Nave Width walls: 34 m.
- Great Nave Width, measured from the axis of the pillars: 14.65m.
- - Width of western façade: 48.80 m.
- Diameter of western rose: 12.5 m.
- Diameter of northern rose: 9.65 m.
- Diameter of southern rose: 9.65 m.
- Length of transept: 61 m.
- Width of transept: 30.70 m.
• Chronology:
- 1210: Fire destroys the 12th century cathedral.
- 1211-1221: Jean d'Orbais builds the first level of the choir, the ambulatory and the adjoining chapels.
- 05.05.1211: Laying of the corner stone by the Archbishop Aubry de Humbert.
- ~ 1220: Villard de Honnecourt visits the site and sketches the construction site in his album.
- 1220-1233: Construction of the transept up to the rose and the last spans of the nave.
- 1230: The chapter acquires the terrain for the construction of the western façade.
- 1233-1235: Populace revolts. Construction is halted.
- 08.09.1241: The chapter solemnly enters the choir (choir, western spans of the nave, northern portal and vaulted transepts).
- ~ 1252: Beginning of the construction of the western façade under Jean le Loup.
- ~ 1256: Gaucher de Reims succeeds to Jean le Loup for 8 years. Puts the statues on the western façade and completes the backside of the portals.
- 1270-1280: Construction of the rose level and the vaults of the 5 first spans of the nave.
- 1285: Interior of the cathedral is finished.
- 1299: Completion of the main structure up to the base of the gallery of Kings and beginning of the roof under Robert de Coucy.
- 1300-1350: Construction of the gallery of the Kings.
- 1430: Works on the upper parts of the western towers by Collard de Givry.
- 1445: Completion of the south-eastern tower.
- 1460: Completion of the north-eastern tower.
- 24.07.1481: A fire destroys the spire crossing and the roofing.
- 1485: Completion of the steeple of the Angel.
- 1492: Restoration of the wooden roof.
- 1497-1515: Restoration of the gables of the transept.
- 1500-1504: Construction of the southern gable.
- 1505: Restoration of the upper galleries of the nave.
- 1516: The chapter decides not to build the four other towers, gables and seven steeples.
- 1580: Destruction of the southern rose in a storm.
- 1611-1612: First restoration of the western portals.
- 1737-1740: Reparation of the western façade and sculptures.
- 1825-1830: Second restoration of the western portals.
- 1845-1860: Restoration of the higher levels (galleries, gables, towers) by Arveuf.
- 1850-1879: Works on the apse under Viollet-le-Duc.
- 1875-1880: Restoration of the galleries by Millet and Ruprich-Robert.
- 19.10.1914: First bombardment with flame bombs against the cathedral. The building is hit by 300 bombs up to 1918.
- 1919: Rockefeller donation for the restoration of the cathedral.
- 1926: Reconstruction of the concrete framing by Henri Deneux.
- 1937: Rededication of the cathedral.
- 1988: End of the renovation of the northern façade.
- 1996: End of the restoration of the arching of the great portal. Visit of pope John Paul II for the 1500th anniversary of the baptism of Clovis by Saint Remi.
- 1998: End of the restoration of the north-western tower.
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