BASILICA OF ST. RÉMI

A masterpiece of Romanesque-Gothic architecture, the Saint-Remi Basilica is a must-see in the City of the Sacred Hearts, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, which welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The Japanese painter Foujita, moved by the beauty of the majestic building, would even have converted to Catholicism shortly after his visit, that is to say if the great lady of Champagne deserves the detour! Built in the 11th century to house the holy bulb and the relics of Saint Remi, this high place of the Frankish royalty owes its name to the bishop of Reims who baptized Clovis in 498. In the^5th century, Gaul was threatened by barbarian kingdoms. The bishops had to ensure the protection of their faithful against this wave of paganism. Only in 459, the episcopal see of Reims is vacant, it is necessary to place a man of faith and convictions, able to Christianize the pagans. Thus, the choice fell on a young man of only 22 years, Remi. When the new king of the Salian Franks, Clovis, came to power, Remi sent him a letter in which he recognized the power of his sovereign in exchange for respecting his spiritual power. It was only much later that Clovis began his conversion to Christianity, under the influence of his wife Clotilde, a Burgundian princess and Christian. According to the legend, Clovis was abandoned by his gods during the battle of Tolbiac and chose to put himself in the hands of his wife. The ceremony took place on Christmas Day at the end of the^fifth century, marking the beginning of a religious and political unity for the Frankish dynasty. At the age of 96 in 533, Remi died. His body rests in the small oratory of Saint-Christophe. Faced with the influx of pilgrims, an abbey church was consecrated in the 9th century. The heart of an intense monastic life, the basilica is located right next to the abbey which today houses the Saint-Remi Historical Museum. The tomb of Saint Remi (1847) now rests in the center of its Gothic choir. At the meeting of the nave and the choir, one can admire a crown of light, representing the Heavenly Jerusalem described in the Apocalypse, defended by twelve towers, between which stand eight candles, the figure of the Resurrection. A true survivor, the basilica has survived the ages and undergone 40 years of restoration after the winter of 1918 under the leadership of the architect Henri Deneux. In October 2000, an organ was inaugurated in the heart of the building to replace the original one, destroyed during the First World War in 1917.