CHURCHES

ABBEYS

Your next conquest

CHURCHES

Givet 1 N5

BELGIQUE CHARLEROI Fumay N5

BELGIQUE 1 N5

Revin

use Me

N 43

19 15

CharlevilleMézières 5 D 98

A2 03

N 43

Sedan 43

4 96

6

NovionPorcien

Whatever our own convictions or lack of them, we cannot but marvel at the ardent sense of faith that must have inhabited the cathedral builders.

N

D

LONDRES DOUVRES CALAIS LAON

AISNE

Lac de Bairon ne Ais

A 26

4 N4

LAON

D 987

Rethel

METZ

A

34

Asfeld

Vouziers PARIS SOISSONS

1 5

SEINE ET MARNE

N 31

e us Me

Arden en nnes 08 8

0 D 38

Fismes

17

Reims A4

METZ LUXEMBOURG

D 77

Gare TGV A 4 ChampagneArdenne

D 31

N3

Ste-Ménehould Suippes

STRASBOURG

44 D 31

A4

ropéen TGV Est Eu A 26

Hautvillers Dormans

Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims Aÿ

N

PARIS N3

Epernay

A4

N3

Regional Natural Parks

9

PARIS CHATEAU-THIERRY

MEUSE

Mar rne 51

Motorways Major roads Waterways Towns served by the TGV Est

4 Châlons-en-Champagne

Montmirail N 44

5 Aéroport D Paris-Vatry

VERDUN N4

Vitry-le-François

N4

Esternay

5 N3

Sommesous

ne ar M

Sézanne

1 N4

St-Dizier

1 95

Anglure

NANCY

Lac du Der

A 26

N 77

D

Villenauxe-la-Grande

ABBEYS

88 D9

Rocroi ARRAS N 43 Lac des Vieilles Forges

Location of the religious establishments presented in this guide

Of course, nothing of the sort will be demanded of the visitors who enter the cathedrals of Reims, Troyes or Langres… Any more than it will of those who stop at Mouzon Abbey, Clairvaux Abbey or the Basilica of the Epine, or those travelling along the Romanesque churches trail in the Ardres Valley or Haute-Marne, the fortified churches trail of the Ardennes Thiérache or the half-timbered churches trail of the wetlands of Champagne... But we can bet that none of them will remain insensitive to the beauty, the emotion - the mystery, perhaps? - which ooze from the architecture, the sculpture (rood screen of Villemaur-sur-Vanne, entombment of Chaource), the magic of the stained glass (Mézières, Ceffonds, Troyes). We are talking about genuine art - the art of men in all its splendour, when art surpasses its creators. The churches, abbeys and cathedrals of Champagne-Ardenne have borne testimony to the genius of man for more than a millennium.

Aube GiffaumontChampaubert

16

Montier-en-Der

N 67

Arcis-sur Aube N 19

14

Romillysur-Seine

Joinville 0 D 40

Brienne-le-Château e-l

Haute-Marne 52

Piney

Troyes 12

Lacs de la Forêt d'Orient

18 2 13

Parc Naturel Régional de la Forêtt d'Orient

Colombeyles-Deux-Eglises

N 19

e Marn

A5

Bar-surAube 7

Villemaur-sur-Vanne

PARIS

NANCY STRASBOURG

4 N7

D7 4

ine Se

Aub be 10

Me us e

Nogent-sur-Seine

Chaumont

A5

Aix-en-Othe

11 7 N7

Bar-sur-Seine N7

N 19

Essoyes

D4

1

10

Nogent D 65

Chaource

Les Riceys

29

VOSGES

Bourbonneles-Bains

A 5

Arc-en-Barrois

DIJON

Lacs du Pays de Langres

Langres

3

YONNE

Auberive

8

A

31

AUXERRE

Fayl-Billot

CÔTE D'OR

N 19

N

74

VESOUL

HAUTE SAÔNE

1 / 1.540.000 e

N 0

25

50 km

DIJON LYON GENEVE MILAN

Canal de la Marne à la Saône

Architecture...

pages 4 to 9

Sculpture...

pages 10 and 11

Stained glass...

pages 12 and 13

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Architecture

Architecture

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> Saint-Mammès Cathedral

> Notre-Dame Cathedral

52200 Langres 51100 Reims Information: Office de Tourisme du Pays de Langres T (0)3 25 87 67 67 - www.tourisme-langres.com

Information: Office de Tourisme de Reims T (0)892 701 351 (0,34€/mn) - www.reims-tourisme.com www.cathedraledereims.uk

Open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. from May to October). Audio guide tour and access to the southern tower during the season.

Open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (7:15 pm on sunday). Free visits, guided or audio-guided tours. Guided tour of the towers and upper parts (for a fee). Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this unique masterpiece of Gothic art, whose foundation stone was laid exactly 800 years ago, is one of the major architectural masterpieces in Europe. It is also one of the largest cathedrals in the Christian world - 149 metres long outside, 138 metres inside and 38 metres in height under the arches. It is made all the more remarkable by its exceptional unity of style, its brightness and the wealth of statues it proudly boasts (2,303 sculptures). From 1223 to 1825, it played host to the coronations of 25 kings of France. It was badly damaged during the First World War, by fire and repeated bombing, and was restored by the architect Henri Deneux, with funding from the Rockefeller family. Visitors can admire, among other things, the three stained glass windows in the axial chapel, created in 1974 by Marc Chagall.

"One of the most fertile monuments France in educational terms, and almost certainly one of the best built," said Eugène ViolletLe-Duc, speaking of the Cathedral of Saint Mammes. It is true that the cathedral of Langres, known as the "daughter of Burgundy", which was built between 1150 and the end of the 12th century, forms a link between Romanesque architecture it is the last major religious building to take its inspiration from the Romanesque abbey church of Cluny - and the first Gothic innovations, which can be found in particular on the cross ribs of the nave, at a height of 23 m. As for the facade, it is a fine example of 18th century religious architecture. also worth a visit is Amoncourt chapel with its magnificent polychrome faience tiles and caisson ceiling, and its roof covered with glazed tiles, another reference to the Burgundian inspiration of the building.

> More info

> More info

To celebrate its 800th anniversary, the facade will be lit up and animated every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from May to October 2011 - every evening in July and August - by a dynamic high-definition light show projected onto the front of the building.

Of the remarkable 16th century tapestry created by Jean Cousin and devoted to the story of St Mammes, two sections are on display in the transept. They represent the saint preaching the Gospel to wild beasts and his martyrdom, suffering the ordeal of the furnace.

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> Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul Cathedral

> Church and cloister of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux 51000 Châlons-en-champagne

10000 Troyes Information: Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région T (0)3 25 82 62 70 - www.tourisme-troyes.com

Open: every day (except Mondays out of season). Unguided or guided visits (in summer for individuals, all year round for groups), or audio guide. Despite five centuries of work (13th - 18th centuries), the cathedral in Troyes only has a single tower, St Peter's Tower, to the left of the portal, which reaches a height of 67 m. For financial reasons, St Paul’s Tower was never built. The interior of this cathedral gives off an impression of power and harmony, due to the elegance of architecture and the unity of its proportions. Particularly admirable are the western facade, which is Gothic for the most part, and its Renaissance Tower, as well as the rich stained glass windows in the nave and chancel, which are set into window bays in a variety of geometrical shapes. The great organ of Clairvaux Abbey (1736), brought here in 1808, is a listed historical monument.

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Information : Office de tourisme de Châlons-en-Champagne T (0)3 26 65 17 89 - www.chalons-tourisme.com Cloister Museum - T(0)3 26 64 03 87

Church open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sundays. Guided tour during summer festival in July and August. Cloister Museum open every day except Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (5 p.m. during the week out of season). This is another architectural jewel in the Champagne-Ardennes crown which has been listed by Unesco as a World Heritage of Humanity site. The former collegiate church has an imposing stature and facade, flanked by two towers with lead-covered spires, admiring its own reflection in the nearby River Mau. The construction of the present church was begun in 1157 and ended in 1217. Its architecture provides a transition between the Romanesque and the Gothic. Beautiful Champagne stained glass windows (16th century) illuminate the nave. To the north, the garden marks the site of the former cloister, destroyed in 1759, the vestiges of which have been excavated in archaeological digs and are on display at the Cloister Museum.

> More info

> More info

Aube is the department with the greatest surface area of stained glass windows in France. The 1,500 square metres of stained glass windows in Troyes Cathedral are just an example, enabling visitors to understand how this art changed from the 13th to the 19th century.

The Notre-Dame-en-Vaux Cloister Museum contains a unique set of fifty column statues and capitals, rare evidence of early Gothic art.

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> Basilica and Museum of Saint-Remi Abbey

Architecture

Architecture

5

> Former Clairvaux Abbey 10310 Ville-sous-la-Ferté

51100 Reims Information: Office de Tourisme de Reims T (0)892 701 351 (0,34€/mn) - www.reims-tourisme.com Saint-Remi Museum: T (0)3 26 35 36 90

Information: Hostellerie des Dames - T (0)3 25 27 52 55 http://abbayedeclairvaux.com

Basilica open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (at nightfall during the winter) Free visits, guided or audio-guided tours. Saint-Remi Museum open from 2 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), closed certain bank holidays. Free admission 1st Sunday of each month.

Guided tours daily from March to October and from Wednesdays to Sundays in February and November. Timetable of guided tours on 03 25 27 88 17. Clairvaux is universally recognized as the birthplace of the Cistercian order. What remains of the original 12th and 13th century buildings is essentially the lay brothers' wing. This building is a perfect illustration of the sobriety, almost austerity, of Cistercian architecture. In the 18th century, the new abbey (Clairvaux III) built around the Grand Cloister was one of the largest monastic buildings of the time. Sold as national property during the Revolution, the abbey was successively used as a paper factory, a brewery and glassmaking plant. In 1808, Napoleon undertook extensive transformation work to transform Clairvaux into a prison, even going so far as to destroy the church.

This wonderfully Romanesque-Gothic basilica offers a genuine sense of monumentality. The powerful impression given off by its sheer size is not hindered by any form of frills, such that the interior is reduced to its simplest expression. It was built in the 11th century to house the Holy Ambry and the relics, which are now kept in a bronze shrine, of St Remi, the bishop who baptised Clovis around 498 and whose tomb forms the centre of the building. The Romanesque nave and Gothic chancel (late twelfth century) form a breathtaking harmony, illuminated by the rich colours of medieval stained glass windows of the façade and chancel. The former royal abbey (buildings remaining from the 17th and 18th centuries) which adjoins the basilica is now home to the city's museum of history and archaeology. This museum presents a history of the abbey, the Gallo-Romans vestiges of the city when it was known as Durocortorum, the regional archaeological collections as well as a military history section. > More info

> More info

Every Saturday evening from June to October, the history of the basilica is recounted to visitors, with a light and shadow show bringing the building to life and highlighting the beauty of its architecture.

On 25 June 1115, Bernard de Fontaine chose the isolated clearing of Val d’Absinthe to build Clairvaux Abbey. After becoming one of the major figures of Western Christendom, he died there in 1153.

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> Former Auberive Abbey 52160 Auberive

> Abbey Church of Notre-Dame 08210 Mouzon Information: Association des Amis du Patrimoine de Mouzon T (0)3 24 26 12 11 - http://amismouzon.free.fr

Open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. from May to October). Guided tours all year round by appointment. The people of Mouzon, talking about the two 52 m high spires of the Notre Dame abbey church, say "that it is firing its arrows towards God". Its interior elevation, on four separate levels, means that it belongs to the first wave of Gothic buildings, alongside the cathedrals of Laon and Notre Dame in Paris. Do not leave the building without admiring the 18th century canopy altar, the 1725 organ by Christophe Moucherel and the 12th century nun's cell. It forms a harmonious whole with the ancient abbey, which was founded in 1971, and which was home to Benedictine monks until religious orders were abolished by the Revolution. The current buildings date from the 1660s, because the abbey was demolished during the sieges of Mouzon in 1650 (by Spain) and 1653 (by Turenne to capture the city back from the Spanish).

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Information: T (0)3 25 84 20 20 - www.abbaye-auberive.com

From June to September: open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.Out of season, by prior arrangement. Unguided or guided tours, audio tour. The 24th "daughter of Clairvaux," Auberive was founded in 1135 by monks from the great abbey of Clairvaux, in compliance with the Cistercian requirement for sobriety, both geographical and architectural. The troubled history of the abbey meant that after the Revolution it became a cotton mill, then a prison - principally for women, where Louise Michel was imprisoned from 1871 to 1873 - and then a summer holiday camp... Restored by its new owners, who are philanthropist industrialists, the former abbey is now home to a contemporary arts centre which puts on highly original exhibitions, a festival of string instrument music (particularly in July) and to an extraordinary ecological heritage in its 6.5 ha of grounds and its three orchards which boast 50 ancient species of apple and pear trees.

> More info

> More info

The former abbey, which is now a retirement home, is not open to visitors. The garden, however, the former kitchen garden for the monks, is open to the public.

On the first weekend of December, the Abbey also hosts a traditional Christmas market, where some forty local craftsmen come to share their products and creations.

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1 N5

Rocroi

half 3 Champagne timbered churches

Lac des Vieilles Forges

use Me

N 43

CharlevilleMézières

1

The Lake District of Champagne boasts a heritage unlike any other in Western Europe: half timbered churches, built between the 15th and 18th centuries. After being despised for so long, this poor man's architecture is now being rediscovered, and there are few churches whose simplicity is so moving. On the narrow country roads, an itinerary lined with forests, ponds and meadows takes you to these churches which are the finest expression of the traditional architecture of the wetlands of Champagne. Lentilles is almost certainly the original archetype of these timber built structures which went up in the 15th century. Also worthy of note is Outines with its magnificent interior, evocative of a marketplace, Longsols and its slate spire which arises from the middle of the roof, Mathaux, the most recent church on the circuit (1761) or the humble chapel of devotion in Soulaines-Dhuys. Information and opening times of the churches: Champagne-Ardenne Tourisme T (0)3 26 21 85 80 - www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com Office de Tourisme du Lac du Der - T (0)3 26 72 62 80 - www.lacduder.com Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Aube - T (0)3 25 42 50 00 www.aube-champagne.com

A2 03

Sedan NovionPorcien Lac de Bairon

D9 87

Fortified Churches of the Ardennes Thiérache

ne Ais

Rethel 34

Asfeld A

1

Vouziers

Arde ennes en 08 8

Fismes Tinqueux N 31

D 77

Reims A 4

A4

Ste-Ménehould Suippes

N 44

D 31

Audio-guided visits on-site at Outines and Lentilles. Guided tours for groups by prior arrangement: T (0)3 25 04 21 49.

4 Dormans A4

N3

N3

Epernay

Marne 51

Châlons-en-Champagne N 44

Fortified churches? This may seem paradoxical for a place of worship, but they are genuine. History and its retinue of conflicts have often travelled through Thiérache, a land of frontiers, from the One Hundred Years' War to the 17th century. Local people had no choice but to fortify their churches and houses in order to seek to protect them. On top of the usual features of churches, military architecture has added turrets, watchtowers, bretesses and arrow loops. The bell towers became defensive keeps. From the church of Signy-le-Petit and it is 3-metre thick quartz schist walls, to the church of Rocquigny, via Liart which looks like a white stone fortress and Servion with its 16th century fortified porch tower, a 150 km circuit invites you to discover the fortified churches of the former duchy of Guise. Information and opening times of the churches: Comité Départemental du Tourisme des Ardennes T (0)3 24 56 06 08 - www.ardennes.com

Architecture

Architecture

Suggested tours

5

4

D

N4

Vitry-le-François

N4

ne ar M

Sézanne

Guided tours in July and August, by appointment: T (0)3 24 54 20 06 or (0)3 24 54 40 32.

N4

St-Dizier

1 95

Lac du Der

A 26

N 77

D

Aube N 67

3

Nogent-sur-Seine N 19

Romillysur-Seine

Troyes

4 N7

5 N 19

Colombeyles-Deux-Eglises

Me us e

2

Brienne-le-Château Piney Lacs de la Forêt d'Orient

HauteMarne 52 e Marn

A5

0 D 40

ine Se

Aub be 10

Bar-surAube A5

Chaumont

Romanesque churches of the Valley of the Ardre

Square towers, flat apse and the same building materials everywhere: a stone quarried on the River Ardre. The Romanesque churches which are dotted around this small and charming river, a tributary of the Aisne, all have similar architectural features, typical of the humble and harmonious nobility of Romanesque art. 33 churches make up this circuit through the Ardre Valley, which has been created by the Montagne de Reims Nature Park. Of note are the churches of Courville with its original porch-tower and its chapel above the nave, Crugny and its 11th century nave, Coulommes-la-Montagne with its column capitals decorated with a huge variety of plant motifs and Saint-Gilles with its octagonal bell tower. It is also to be noted that other Romanesque churches, nestling between vineyards and forests, can be found just a few miles to the north, on the other side of the Vesle, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry. Information and opening times of the churches: Maison du Parc naturel régional de la Montagne de Reims T (0)3 26 59 44 44 - www.parc-montagnedereims.fr

77 N N 19

A 5

Langres

A

31

Lacs du Pays de Langres

churches 5 Romanesque in Haute-Marne

Churches

2 in Troyes "What happens in Troyes? The bells ring! " Thus went an old folk saying, illustrating just how many churches, convents and abbeys were dotted around the city. Even today, Troyes remains "the city of 10 churches", which the local schools of sculpture and stained glass have transformed into a symphony of stone and glass. For the most part, they are illustrative of the city's extraordinary prosperity in the 16th century. In addition to visiting the Cathedral, visitors must not miss the museum churches of Sainte-Madeleine, Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Pantaléon, the Saint-Urbain Basilica, renowned as one of the architectural wonders of Champagne, or the more contemporary Notre-Dame-des-Trévois, built between 1931 and 1934. Information and opening times of the churches: Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région T (0)3 25 82 62 70 - www.tourisme-troyes.com.

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Guided visits in the summer for individuals, all year round for groups, or audio guides.

Haute-Marne has a remarkable wealth of Romanesque churches and abbeys which have a characteristic style: squat appearance from the outside, stone arches, round openings, relatively low buildings, square or polygonal bell towers, all of which fit in beautifully with the landscapes. Two of these buildings, among the most prestigious in the whole of the Romanesque art repertoire, date from before 1050. They are the Notre-Dame abbey church of Montier-en-Der, whose nave comes from the church consecrated in 998, and the amazing church in Vignory, which forms the transition between the Carolingian tradition and Romanesque architecture. Also worthy of note are the churches of Wassy, with its richly decorated tower, Sommevoire and the beautiful capitals of the porch, and Voillecomte with its beautiful bell tower. Information: Maison Départementale du Tourisme de la Haute-Marne - T (0)3 25 30 39 00 www.tourisme-hautemarne.com Churches of Montier-en-Der and Vignory open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6.30 p.m. during the summer).

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Sculpture

Sculpture

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> Entombment in Basilica of Saint-Jean-Baptiste

> Basilica of Notre-Dame 51460 L’Epine

52000 Chaumont Information and guided tours: Office de Tourisme de Châlons-en-Champagne T (0)3 26 65 17 89 - www.chalons-tourisme.com

Information: Office de Tourisme du Pays de Chaumont en Champagne - T (0)3 25 03 80 80 www.tourisme-chaumont-champagne.com

Open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. in the summer). Free or guided tours.

Basilica open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free tours.

“It is a strange surprise to see this splendid flower of Gothic architecture blossom so superbly in these fields” wrote Victor Hugo in 1842 in Le Rhin of his new-found love for Notre-Dame de l'Epine. Built with much inspiration from Reims Cathedral, it is another World Heritage site on the Way of St James, which itself is listed by UNESCO! Flamboyant! The adjective used to describe the late Gothic style is perfectly suited to the basilica. This is because of its sculpted gables and pinnacles and the profusion of gargoyles - more than a hundred - which adorn its walls, representing animals and tormented figures, the symbols of the vices, turpitudes and miseries of human existence, flushed out of this place of worship thanks to purifying rainwater...

It is in the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre that the Basilica's masterpiece is to be found: a polychrome stone entombment of exceptional realism - 10 life-size figures surrounding the tomb of Christ. The power of expression, the postures and the sense of dimension are remarkable in every sense of the word. Tears are visible on the faces, but each individual is identified by his own emotions only and fades into the group as a whole. The apparent unity of this entombment is made all the more remarkable when it is noted that this work is the synthesis of two separate commissions. It is thought that it was made, on-site and using local stone, by artists who came both from Dijon and from Cologne.

> More info

> More info

Visitors can also admire the stone rood screen which separates the chancel from the nave - which is unique in the department, as well as the entombment and the remarkable Eucharistic tower.

The admirable stone Tree of Jesse is also well worth the visit. Christ's genealogical tree - going back to Jesse, father of King David - is one of the commonest religious themes in 16th century iconography.

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> Entombment in Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste 10210 Chaource

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> Rood screen in Notre-Dame Church 10190 Villemaur-sur-Vanne

Information: Office de Tourisme de Chaource T (0)3 25 40 97 22 - www.tourisme-en-chaourcois.com

Church open every day from April to October from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., from November to March from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free or with audio guide (available from the Tourist Office). The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Chaource conserves sixty medieval sculptures which make it a veritable museum of Troyes sculpture. In the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre is an extraordinary masterpiece: a polychrome entombment dating back to 1515. The life-size group of seven figures before the body of Christ is made all the more extraordinary by the expressive beauty of the female figures - and in particular the Virgin Mary - whose tenderness and sorrow have been depicted with genuine emotion. Impossible here not to feel a sense of intimacy in contemplation. History has not preserved the name of the artist behind the work. Active in Troyes from 1515 to 1528, he is known only as the Master of Chaource (or Master of the Sainte-Marthe). Champagne-Ardenne has a rich collection of entombments of this kind, the characteristic expression of the religious sensitivities of the time.

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Information: Association pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Historique et Artistique de Villemaur-sur-Vanne - T (0)3 25 40 55 22 Office de Tourisme du Pays d’Othe et de la Vallée de la Vanne - T (0)3 25 80 81 71 - www.tourisme-paysdothe.fr

Open with guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. from April to November. Guided tours by prior arrangement on 03 25 40 55 22. Created in 1521 by the Guyon brothers, master craftsmen of the Troyes school, who carved their masterpiece after having conducted their traditional apprenticeship as they journeyed all around France, the wooden rood screen of Villemaur-sur-Vanne is the largest and riches wooden rood screen still visible in France today. It is made up of a tribune standing on an open balustrade, decorated all over by the most fabulous bestiary imaginable. 26 bas-relief sculptures represent, among others, the life of the Virgin and the Passion of Christ. Many of the scenes take their inspiration from contemporary German sculptor Dürer. The extraordinary precision of the carving makes the Biblical scenes come to life with astonishing reality.

> More info

> More info

Additional reasons to visit the church of Saint-JeanBaptiste: a carved, painted and gilded wooden nativity scene, a painted wood triptych, splendid altarpieces and a series of stone statues, all dating back to the 16th century.

Every summer, the "Enter our Churches" guided tours organised by the tourist office it possible for visitors to discover the churches of Pays d'Othe.

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Stained glass

Stained glass

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> Stained glass windows in Basilica of Notre-Dame d’Espérance

> Stained glass windows in Sainte-Madeleine Church

08000 Charleville-Mézières

10000 Troyes Information: Office de Tourisme de Troyes et sa région T (0)3 25 82 62 70 - www.tourisme-troyes.com

Information: Office de Tourisme de Charleville-Mézières T (0)3 24 55 69 90 - www.charleville-tourisme.com

Church open every day except Sunday mornings. Unguided or guided visits (in summer for individuals, all year round for groups), or audio guide.

Basilica open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guided tours in July and August, Thursdays at 2.30 p.m., and all year round by appointment for groups.

Troyes is regarded by many historians as the holy city for stained glass windows, and its numerous churches, with a total surface of about 4,000 m2 of windows, illustrate the skill of the master glassworkers of Champagne from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The Troyes painting on glass workshops dominated the French artistic scene in the sixteenth century. The church of Sainte-Madeleine provides a unique panorama of the achievements of the Troyes school. These stained glass windows show narratives of religious scenes by juxtaposing pictures, which can be read as one might a cartoon strip.... Particularly admirable are Window of Creation, of exceptional quality, a very famous Tree of Jesse and the scenes of the Passion of Christ.

Victor Hugo had already noted in 1838 that “the church of Mézières has a reputation for its windows...”. Those that can be admired today, out of the total of 62 windows in the building, all by a single artist and based around the same theme, constitute a work of art unique in Europe. It was painter and sculptor René Dürrbach (1911-1999), a collaborator and friend of Picasso, Delaunay and Léger, who produced this marvel from 1955 to 1979. The composition of more than 1, 000 m2, which focuses on the duality between the “Black Virgin of Mézières” and the “Virgin of Light” that is the church of Notre-Dame d’Espérance, is an exceptional testimony of the sacred non-figurative art of the mid-twentieth century, completely in phase with the architectural and spiritual requirements of the building. The work is designed as a rite of initiation based on signs, numbers, colours and the fundamental symbols of the Christian tradition.

> More info

> More info

The church of Sainte-Madeleine is also famous for its magnificent stone rood screen, built from 1508 to 1517 by the sculptor Jean Gailde - buried underneath his masterpiece - and for its "Garden of the Innocents", a medieval garden next to the building, which flowers each year.

Thanks to the pilgrimage to the Black Madonna, which drew in considerable crowds, the church acquired its renown in the sixteenth century. Bombed in 1870 and again 1944, devastated in 1914-18, the church was elevated to the status of minor basilica in 1946. The extremely sober interior has been completely restored.

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> Stained glass in the Abbey Church of St Peter's and St Paul's 52220 Montier-en-Der Information: Office de Tourisme de Montier-en-Der T (0)3 25 04 69 17 – www.tourisme-paysduder.fr Office de Tourisme du Lac du Der T (0)3 26 72 62 80 – www.lacduder.com

Church open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. (5 p.m. in the winter). Free or audio-guided tours. Guided tours for groups by prior arrangement: T (0)3 25 04 21 49. Monasterium in Dervo ... Montier-en-Der, the capital of the Der region, owes its name to the monastery founded around 673 by Benedictines. The ancient abbey church bears the traces of a number of different historical periods. At the end of the 10th century, the primitive buildings had disappeared and Abbott Adson began building a new church, which was consecrated in 998. The remarkably sober pre-Romanesque nave contrasts with the Gothic choir. The abbey church is 70 metres long and offers visitors no fewer than 83 stained-glass windows which ensure that the interior light is in harmony with the religious ambience of the building. The stained glass windows in the choir date from the 19th century, and the clerestory windows were installed by Max Ingrand in 1960. The nave is an exceptional site: apart from the western window, the 34 stained-glass windows inaugurated in 1993 are all the work of Louis-René Petit, a master glassmaker from Orleans. The windows are not figurative (apart from those on the sides) and all revolve around wood as a source of energy and a religious symbol: tree of Jesse, burning bush, Garden of Olives... > More info The half-timbered church and 16th century stained glass window trail, which begins in Montier-en-Der, takes visitors to discover some of the fine glasswork in neighbouring religious buildings, such as Ceffonds, Droyes and Puellemontier, veritable masterpieces of the Troyes glass painting workshops.

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> Stained glass windows in Church of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul 10370 Villenauxe-la-Grande Information and guided tours: Office municipal Accueil et Tourisme T (0)3 25 21 38 94 - www.villenauxe-la-grande.fr

Church open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. The thirteenth century church of Villenauxe-la-Grande underwent major restoration work to its roof and masonry between 1992 and 2000. Its 24 bay windows (200 m2), which had lost their former glazing during a bombing raid in 1940, were fitted with newly inaugurated windows (2005) created by artist David Tremlett and master glassmakers Stéphanie and Benoît Marq. On the same theme throughout the building, these bright 21st century stained glass windows use geometric shapes and symbols to establish a dialogue between architecture, spirituality, the four elements - water, air, earth and fire and the two traditional activities of Villenauxe which are ceramics and winegrowing. > More info Maurice Bouley, an inhabitant of Villenauxe-la-Grande, bequeathed all of his estate to the village in order to finance the work on the stained glass windows. The State, local government and Gaz de France also participated in the funding to ensure this project came to fruition.

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Packages

> 3 days / 2 nights 17

From € 159 per person (in a double room)

> Reims, City of Coronations Discover the City of Coronations as you stay in the heart of Reims. You will visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame, a veritable jewel of Gothic art and one of the most important buildings of medieval Europe, as well as the Palais du Tau, where the post-coronation banquets were held and which is now a museum of the statues and the coronation of the Kings of France. You will stay at the Grand Hôtel Continental (3 stars) located in the city centre. Enquiries and bookings: Grand Hôtel Continental 93, place Drouet d’Erlon 51100 Reims T (0)3 26 40 39 35 - F (0)3 26 57 51 12 [email protected] www.grandhotelcontinental.com

> More info Validity: All year round, subject to availability. Includes 2 nights (breakfasts included) in a double bedroom, the audio-guided tours of the Cathedral and the Palais du Tau.

Useful Addresses • Departemental Tourism Boards CDT des Ardennes 24, Place Ducale - B.P. 419 - 08107 Charleville-Mézières Cedex T (0)3 24 56 06 08 - F (0)3 24 59 20 10 - www.ardennes.com

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CDT de la Marne 13 bis, rue Carnot - B.P. 74 - 51006 Châlons-en-Champagne Cedex T (0)3 26 68 37 52 ou (0)3 26 69 51 04 - F (0)3 26 68 46 45 www.tourisme-en-champagne.com MDT de la Haute-Marne Cours Marcel Baron - BP 2048 - 52902 Chaumont Cedex 9 T (0)3 25 30 39 00 - F (0)3 25 30 39 09 - www.tourisme-hautemarne.com

• Tourist Information Centres FROTSI 48, place de la République - 51000 Châlons-en-Champagne T (0)3 26 22 15 00 - F (0)3 26 22 15 13

3, faubourg Saint-Antoine 51037 Châlons-en-Champagne Cedex T (0)3 26 70 36 50 - F (0)3 26 70 43 71 www.culture.gouv.fr/champagne-ardenne

From € 198 per person in a double room (supplement for a single room € 30)

> Culinary journey to Troyes This holiday will take you to the heart of the mediaeval town, in an air-conditioned hotel restaurant with comfortable bedrooms. A gourmet menu and a gastronomic menu await you, as well as a bottle of champagne. You will be given a "pass’ Troyes" so that you can explore the city, its museums, its colourful half timbered houses, its factory outlets and more besides.

On the Web Enquiries and bookings: Le Royal Hôtel 22, boulevard Carnot 10000 TROYES T (0)3 25 73 19 99 - F (0)3 25 73 47 85 [email protected] www.royal-hotel-troyes.com

> More info Valid all year. Includes the half-board stay (one gourmet menu and one gastronomic menu) not including drinks, a pass' Troyes and a bottle of champagne per couple.

www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com On the History & Heritage mini website on www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com, you can find the full range of religious buildings (churches, cathedrals, abbeys, church groups, etc), stained-glass windows and sculptures in Champagne-Ardenne, along with events and holiday ideas.

Summary bibliography

> 2 days / 1 night 19 € 66 per person in a double bedroom (supplement for a single room €25)

• Champagne-Ardenne, le Guide du Patrimoine, sous la direction de Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos. Editions Hachette • Nouveaux regards sur la cathédrale de Reims. Editions Guéniot • Naissance d’un mythe, l’Ange au Sourire de Reims, Yann Harlaut. Editions Guéniot • Les églises à pans de bois de Champagne. Collection Itinéraires du Patrimoine, Edition Guéniot • Les églises de Ceffonds et de Puellemontier et leurs verrières. Collection Itinéraires du Patrimoine, Edition Guéniot • L’Abbaye de Clairvaux. Collection Itinéraires du Patrimoine, Edition Guéniot • L’Abbaye d’Auberive. Collection Itinéraires du Patrimoine, Edition Guéniot • Vitrail, peintures de lumière. Editions Lieux-Dits • Mémoire de verre, vitraux champenois de la Renaissance. Cahiers de l’Inventaire.

Acknowledgements / Photos

> Mézières of a thousand sparkles

Enquiries and bookings: Office de Tourisme de Charleville-Mézières et sa région 4, place Ducale - BP 229 08102 Charleville-Mézières Cedex T (0)3 24 55 69 90 - F (0)3 24 55 69 89 [email protected] www.charleville-tourisme.com

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Discover Charleville-Mézières and the treasure of the Basilica de Mézières: 1,000 m2 of magnificent stained glass windows painted by René Dürrbach, a collaborator and friend of Picasso. During your stay, you will walk along the ramparts of the medieval city, through the Place Ducale, following in the footsteps of Rimbaud... Thanks to your museum pass, the Ardennes Museum, and the Museum and the Birthplace of Rimbaud open their doors to. You will be housed in the heart of town, close to the centre: the seventeenth century town. A gourmet stop off at the terrasse of a cafe as well as dinner in one of the city centre restaurants are also part of the offer.

This document was drawn up by the Champagne Ardennes Regional Tourist Board in collaboration with the Regional Inventory Service and the Department Tourist Boards, thanks to financial assistance from the Regional Council.

Photo credits: F Canon, C Goupi, M Joly, Ph Lemoine, D Le Neve, Ph Mangen, C Manquillet, G Oxley, G Paté, R Pelletier, G Raskin, J Philippot et P Thomas, Service Régional de l'Inventaire (Région Champagne-Ardenne), CDT Ardennes, CDT Aube, CDT Marne, CDT Haute-Marne. Remerciements aux Associations et Offices de Tourisme pour les photos transmises. Designed by: Horizon Bleu (Reims) Printed by: Imprimerie Moderne de l’Est (Baumes-les-Dames)

Information: • Mesnil-Saint-Loup Monastery T (0)3 25 40 40 82 - www.monastere-mesnil.fr • Benedictine monastery of Saint-Thierry T (0)3 26 03 10 72 http://catholique-reims.cef.fr/st-thierry.htm#accueil

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> More info Validity: All year round. Includes a visit to the Basilica (guided on Thursday afternoons in July and August / leaflet provided out of season), the museum pass, the night (breakfast included) in a two star hotel, a gourmet snack and drink as well as dinner, drinks included.

Recharge your batteries... by enjoying a retreat in a monastery.

CDT de l’Aube 34, Quai Dampierre - 10000 Troyes T (0)3 25 42 50 00 - F (0)3 25 42 50 88 - www.aube-champagne.com

Regional Cultural Affairs Department

> 3 days / 2 nights

Retreat at a monastery

50, avenue du Général Patton - BP 319 51013 CHALONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE Cedex - France T (0)3 26 21 85 80 - F (0)3 26 21 85 90 www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com [email protected]

Printed on paper from sustainably managed forests, using plant-based inks. ISO 14001 certified.

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WEEKEND

E U R O P E A N H E R I TA G E 17 AND 18 SEPTEMBER 2011

France’s historic monuments open their doors Discover the masterpieces of civil and religious architecture. Two whole days to visit and revisit the sites that make up our heritage and bear witness to our history. www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com