Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims

If Gothic architecture, the coronation of kings, and Joan of Arc are interests of yours, then you must visit Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims!

How to Visit

Situated between Paris and the Belgium border, lies the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims in the Champagne Region. From Paris, it’s only a 45 minute TGV train ride away or 1.5 hours by car.

This is my favorite Cathedral by far and it’s far more beautiful than the Notre Dame de Paris in my eyes. The Cathedral in Reims is wider and the towers are taller than the more popular Notre Dame de Paris. There are 4 times the amount of windows than Notre Dame de Paris! So until the reconstruction after the 2019 fire is complete, Notre Dame de Reims should definitely be on your list. This spectacular time capsule of Gothic Architecture was almost completely destroyed by fire in the Middle Ages and then during WWI. Hoping it will not ever again face a similar heartbreaking experience that we all felt when we witnessed the Paris Cathedral up in smoke.

Coronation of Kings since 13th Century

There have been 31 French kings, beginning with Louis the Pious in 816, that were coronated here. That is right, every King of France stepped foot in this Cathedral! What exactly is a coronation? Well, not all monarchs have a coronation ceremony, only the Kings of England, France and Emperor of the Germanic Empire. All other monarchs are simply crowned- doesn’t sound like a big to do in comparison! The coronation is a political construction that associates the anointing, like a baptism, to the crowning of monarchs. It was believed that all monarchs were chosen by God and had a higher purpose.

Joan of Arc at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims

Let’s talk about one of my favorite women in history, Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), the savior and heroine of France. She led the French army to a momentous victory against the English at Orléans during the Hundred Year’s War. After Henry V of England defeated Charles VI’s army at the Battle of Agincourt, Reims along with most of northern France fell to the English. The English held the city and the cathedral until 1429, when it was captured by Joan of Arc to allow the dauphin, Charles VII, to be crowned king on 17 July 1429- which was her original vision when she heard “voices” telling her to help Charles and expel the English from France.

How was she rewarded? In May 1430, while leading another military expedition against the English occupiers of France, soldiers captured her, sold her to the English, and they tried her for heresy and being a witch. On May 30, 1431, the heroine burned at the stake at Rouen. It was only in 1920, that Joan of Arc finally was recognized as a Christian saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Beauty is in the Details

Every stone is special here. We must remember that someone worked tirelessly on every single stone of these structures. In fact if you look closely, you may even spot a mason’s mark if you’re lucky!

This spectacular example of Gothic architecture has lived through the ages and we are so fortunate to step foot inside! Just think of all the people before us that stood exactly where you stand. My love for architecture and engineering comes from the fact that the human race can create such objects of strength and beauty. These structures are still standing today and have seen many iterations of the world pass by. How can we create something so immortal? Yet our same kind can destroy these places easily and erase their existence. It makes me think of how many spectacular relics we have lost along the way, but I am thankful for the ones that remain.

Since you are in the area, stick around and join me on a couple Champagne tours! Let’s learn all about how this bubbly masterpiece was invented and it’s history through time!