Day Trip to Reims, France
Pronounced, “rahnce”
Reims is located about 80 miles northeast of Paris.
•Notre Dame de Reims (12111480) – traditional site of the crowning of the kings of France Notre Dame de Reims
•Basilica of Reims – Reims was Surrender Museum evangelized in the 200‟s and Champagne houses and tours the first basilica was built in about 400AD. •Porte de Mars – 3rd or 4th century Roman triumphal arch •Champagne caves
What‟s in Reims?
railway station, Reims
The Mars Gate (Porte de Mars)
Interior of the arch with a depiction of Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome.
Oldest monument in Reims: Triumphal arch built by the rd or 4th Romans, Only remaining most likely gate in the of 43that originally existed centuryin AD. the Reims city wall
Basilica of St. Remi
Basilica of St. Remi, interior
Basilica & Abbey of St. Remi “rose” window
Clerestory windows
Statue of Clovis being baptized by St. Remi
Who was Clovis? The 1st king of the Franks to unite all tribes in France under 1 ruler
Clovis, King of the Franks
Bishop Remi
•Clovis inherited the crown at age 15, in about 481AD •After winning a battle around the year 500AD, Clovis became a Christian at the urging of his wife & was baptized in Reims by Bishop Remi – probably in a baptistry near the site of the Cathedral 14th century painting of the Baptism of Clovis
Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims Vaulted ceiling
Clerestory windows
Gothic arch (pointed arch)
Inscribed paver in the middle of the Cathedral floor: Translation: “Here St. Remi baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.”
Notre Dame de Reims 1211-1311 Stunning example of Gothic One of the great architecture On this site, the bishop of Reims baptized Clovis, the King of the Franks, in 496AD. From then on, all French kings were crowned here until 1825.
The Reims Cathedral was seriously damaged during World War I. The restoration and stabilization of the Cathedral after WWI, was largely funded by the American, John D. Rockefeller. Fortunately, the cathedral largely escaped damage during WWII.
Notre Dame de Reims, 1909
Work on the rose window of Notre Dame de Reims in the early 1900‟s
1909
Western entrance to the Cathedral at Reims
Right: “Sacrifice of Isaac”, Western façade of Reims Cathedral
At the western façade‟s northern door: a smiling angel
Not everything in the cathedral is ancient! Marc Chagall designed the stained glass windows which are located on axis of the cathedral apse (installed in 1974).
Right window: great moments in lives of kings of France – i.e., baptism of Clovis
Left window: Tree of Jesse
Marc Chagall, a Jew living in Nazi-occupied France, barely made it to the US in time to miss the Holocaust arriving in NY in June of 1941.
Who was Joan of Arc?
Statue of Joan of Arc in Notre Dame de Reims
Who was Joan of Arc?
At age 12, Joan had a vision was ashe French peasant girlthat in She which claimed God told her to lead the French army and drive the English out of France. She was also told to bring Charles VII to the Reims cathedral to be crowned King of France.
The future king of France, the dauphin Charles VII, with Joan of Arc
The French were so desperate they took young Joan, (age 17) up on her offer to lead their army. In only 3 days of fighting, the French retook their city of Orleans from the English, under her command.
Statue of Joan of Arc in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims
Joan of Arc dressed for battle
On July 17, 1429 Joan of Arc crowned Charles VII, King of France
Joan of Arc at the Coronation of Charles VII at Notre Dame, Reims Jean Auguste Ingres
At later battles, Joan of Arc was eventually injured and imprisoned by the English. Her attempt at escaping by jumping out of a 70ft tall tower was unsuccessful.
She was then put on trial by the Catholic Church and faced harsh questioning. “Are you in God‟s grace?” Joan of Arc‟s reply: “If I am not, may God put me there, and if I am, may God so keep me.” This question was a trap, and Joan‟s answer was deemed heresy, because Church doctrine at that time incorrectly taught that no one could be certain of being in God‟s grace.
Joan of Arc being interrogated in her prison cell by Cardinal Winchester
The technical reason given for her execution was „wearing male clothing‟ – but Joan was no feminist – she did this for protection against assault.
At the age of 19, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy on May 30, 1431. Her last words were, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” The Hundred Years‟ War continued for 22 years after her death, with the English eventually leaving France. In 1456, a Church court reviewed her case and declared her innocent of heresy.
Surrender Museum, Reims
On May 7, 1945, General Dwight W. Eisenhower received the unconditional surrender of German General, Alfred Jodl, in this room in a technical school in Reims. The surrender was ratified in Berlin the following day.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Adolf Hitler committed suicide only a week before the German surrender documents were signed at Reims.
Musée de la Reddition (Surrender Museum)
Alfred Jodl with Hitler together at a briefing in 1944.
Army Chief of Staff, General Alfred Jodl
“Pencils, papers and ashtrays had been placed on the table with military precision, their positions having been measured with a ruler by an American captain.”
An American soldier salutes as a British officer leads German General Alfred Jodl and others into signing room.
German General, Alfred Jodl
The German officers arrive at the signing.
German General, Alfred Jodl
Hats off, gentlemen!
German General, Alfred Jodl
German General, Alfred Jodl
German General Alfred Jodl signing surrender documents.
General “Ike” Eisenhower gives a “V” for Victory sign with the pens the Germans used during signing.
Quiet celebration after the Germans left the room…
Susan Hibbert, a British sargeant who spent over 20 hours typing the terms of surrender in English
The surrender signing itself was described as a very somber ceremony. But after the German officers left, those still inside the war room celebrated quietly.
“We had some champagne but we didn‟t have any glasses so we had to drink it out of army mess tins. We passed the tins around and had a few sips.”
Germans surrender at Reims! Table where Germans signed the surrender treaty
VE (Victory in Europe Day) is joyously celebrated on May 8, 1945 throughout the European Continent and on American streets.
Winston Churchill waves to crowds celebrating VE Day in London, England
VE Day Celebration in Time Square, New York
A visit to the Champagne Region
Growing grapes and making wine in The Champagne Caves Northeastern France isn‟t easy! The area‟s COLD temperatures produce wines with:
•High acidity •Low sugar •Thin consistency
Cold weather can prematurely and temporarily halt wine fermentation in the cellar. Earlier-style wine bottles would often explode when warm weather arrived and fermentation started up again.
A by-product of fermentation is CO2, (bubbles) - originally considered to be a flaw in wines of this region.
Main grape types used for champagne: Chardonnay grapes
•Pinot noir •Chardonnay •Pinot Meunier
Pinot noir grapes
Pinot Meunier grapes
In 1668, Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk in the region, began working tirelessly to improve winegrowing and wine-producing techniques.
•“Only use Pinot Noir grapes!” •“Don‟t bruise the grapes!” •“Prune the vines!” Some farmers from neighboring towns paid their tithes in the form of grapes.
•“Don‟t let any grape skins into the wine!” •“Get rid of those darn bubbles!”
The aristocracy ofofboth Britain In the 1700‟s, the nobility France, England,and and Russia developed a taste for the “bubbly” wines France soon developed a taste for produced in the Champagne Region of France. the wine with bubbles.
Suddenly, bubbles were in!
However, the early 20th century was not kind to the champagne industry! “I sure could use a straw right now!”
“Champagne? Nyet! Get to back to work for Mother Russia!”
The Russian Revolution
American prohibition
French Champagne region during WWI
Champagne sales have quadrupled since 1950. Bubbly is back!
Touring the champagne caves: dress warmly – it‟s cold down there!
Which tour? 3 main champagne tours are offered in Reims without an appointment: a)Mumm – b)PiperHeidsieck c)Taittinger Each tour costs between 7 and 15 Euros.
Maison de Champagne Mumm Tour includes a 15 minute film about champagne production followed by a 45minute tour. Tasting at the end. Cost of tour depends upon the number of samples you drink at the end of the tour.
Mumm sponsors Formula 1 racing.
Maison de Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Oh, Florens, I‟m so proud of you! Thanks, Dad!
In 1785, this champagne house was founded by Florens-Luis Heidsieck, son of a Lutheran pastor, who served his creation to Marie Antoinette.
Piper Heidsieck is the official champagne of the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival (and of Marilyn Monroe).
Train ride in the champagne caves.
Maison de Champagne Taittinger
Actress Grace Kelly served as the model for this label
Closed on weekends in March
