CATHÉDRAL NOTRE-DAME DE REIMS

Thought I'd do a bit of history now we are back for a week, then away again, back again, away again, before we are back for 2017 navigation. One of the main sights in Reims is 'Cathédral Notre Dame de Reims'. It's big, in fact very big. Obviously built to impress and intimidate the worshippers or as it is nowadays the tourists. There are a multitude of aspects to this immense ancient building, a couple are: All the kings of France were crowned in the Cathederal and the stone statues of them are arranged around the top storey, just below the towers. They look big and are supposed to be imposing. You don't realise how big they really are until you go into the Palace du Tau, the old palace, now a museum next door. Here they have statues that weathered into a dangerous condition. New replica statues were carved, installed and the original ones maintained in the museum. 

The west/main elevation, under constant renovation.

Adjacent to a weathered statue in the museum.

To illustrate the size of the statues of the front elevation I am standing next to one in the museum. The Cathedral is literally encrusted in statues there are in excess of 2000 carved into the building all originally painted. Apart from the statues Cathédral Notre-Dame has had a long and very checkered history, partially burning down on more than one occasion. One of the many fires had the roof on fire causing the lead roof covering to melt and flow down the gutters and out of the gargoyles. As the fire receded the lead cooled and left the spectacular 'sculptures' of gargoyles foaming at the mouth with lead. All a bit surrealistic. Must have been a touch 'hairy' with molten lead raining down from above. Perhaps it was seen at the time as a message from God?

One of the gargoyles that flowed with lead.

I'm not really a Cathederal fan, however, the scale is impressive. One element I feel you should not miss is the new stained glass windows on the east face. They are stunning especially in morning light and are a bit more 'illuminating' than some of the ancient ones. It's interesting that after more than a century after being severely damaged by German bombing raids, the Cathedral has been fitted with these three new stained glass windows designed by a German artist Imi Knoebel who refused payment for the project. The creation of the windows, which cost €900,000, was financed by the German Foreign Ministry to 'heal a scar between Germany and France'. All interesting and European!

One of a series of windows by Imi Knoebel.