Reims Cathedral

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame stands in Place du Cardinal-Luçon, in the center of the city of Reims. On the north side of the square is the Palais de Justice (Law Courts), with a small bronze equestrian statue of Joan of Arc (by P. Dubois, 1896) in front of it. With its unity of form, harmonious proportions and rich sculptural decoration, the Cathedral is a master work of High Gothic architecture, one of the great cathedrals of Europe. The damage it suffered during the 1914-1918 war has been repaired, but much of the sculpture is badly weathered, and restoration work is constantly in progress.

Built on the site of the fifth century church in which the Frankish king Clovis was baptized by Bishop Rémi (Remigius) and used for more than eight centuries for the coronation of French kings, Reims Cathedral enjoys a very special position in French history. The present building was begun by Jean d'Orbais in 1211, following the destruction of an earlier church by fire, and was practically complete by 1294 (the upper parts of the towers being completed only in 1428). The tower over the crossing which was added in 1485 was destroyed by fire in 1914 and was not rebuilt.