Reims Cathedral, 1211 AD, Reims, France

Reims Cathedral, also called the Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Reims, cathedral located in the city of Reims, France. Reims was the site of 25 coronations of the kings of France, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825, including the crowning of Charles VII in 1429 in the presence of Joan of Arc. The cathedral, which was begun in 1211 under the support of Archbishop Aubry de Humbert and designer Jean d’Orbais. The main construction was overseen by four different architects and lasted some 80 years; expansions and decorative work continued the church for centuries.

. Reims Cathedral incorporated several new architectural techniques, notably bar tracery. It has a total finished length of 489 feet—with an interior length of 455 feet and a nave reaching 377 feet. The twin towers in the west façade have a height of 266 feet. The cheviot (eastern end), with its five relatively large chapels, is nearly the same width as the transept giving the cathedral an unusually compact, unified appearance. This unity is emphasized by the use of nearly identical window types in the aisle and clerestory stories, as well as the complementary rose windows in the west façade and central portal and those in the transepts’ facades. Reims is richly decorated with elegant masonry sculpture and exceptional stained-glass windows, making it one of the artistic masterpieces of the French High Gothic period.

In 2011, the city of Reims celebrated the cathedral's 800th anniversary. The celebrations ran from May 6 to October 23. Concerts, street performances, exhibitions, conferences, and a series of evening light shows highlighted the cathedral and its 800th anniversary. In addition, six new stained glass windows designed by Imi Knoebel, a German artist, were inaugurated on June 25, 2011. The six windows cover an area of 128m² and are positioned on both sides of the Chagall windows in the apse of the cathedral.

Source:

Glancey, Jonathan. Architecture. London: DK, 2006. PrintWatkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. Sixth ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.

Lillich, Meredith P. The Gothic Stained Glass of Reims Cathedral. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State UP, 2011. Print.

Watkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. Sixth ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.