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Champagne-Ardenne

Long before it was famous for sparkling wine, Champagne was a county in eastern France known for its medieval fairs.  It became a royal domain when the count succeeded to the French throne in 1314.

The Ardennes constitute one of the largest forests in Europe, stretching into Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany (where it is known as the Eifel).  During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, the Germans attacked Allied troops through this seemingly impenetrable forest.

"Smiling Angel" in the left portal of the main façade

Reims UNESCO World Heritage List

 Cathedral main façade, or "westworks"
Fantastic detail of the main façade Reims is the capital of the province – and wine-growing region – of Champagne.   Only those sparkling wines which come from this part of the world can rightfully bear the name "champagne."
Laura's favorite, of course, is "Piper-Heidsieck"...
Stained glass by Marc Chagall in cathedral chancel The Cathédrale Notre-Dame, begun in 1211 AD, is one the best examples of the Lanceolate Gothic style made famous at Chartres. Interior wall, with rose window and recessed statues
An unusual feature is the tympanum rose window above the main entrance, flanked by over 50 recessed statues along the interior wall.
Since the 13th century, almost all French kings were crowned at Reims. The most moving coronation was that of Charles VII in 1429, made possible only by the efforts of Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years War.
Reims was once the most important city in the ancient Roman province of Belgica.  In 496 AD, Clovis was baptized here by St Remigius (St. Rémi), becoming the first Frankish ruler to embrace Christianity. Tomb of St. Remigius, in the nearby Basilique St-Rémi
The cathedral was rebuilt after its destruction by German artillery during World War I. Reims was also the site of the official German surrender at the end of World War II.

Cathédrale St-Pierre et St-Paul

Troyes

 Construction of the cathedral began in 1208
Once upon a time, Troyes was famous for its fairs. Parable of the Prodigal Son, told in stained glass It lay along trade routes between Flanders and Italy.
Merchants and craftsmen from all over Europe came to the medieval fairs, which went on for three whole months.
The chancel was complete by 1228

Modern rose window in the southern transept

Another view of the chancel

 By the end of the 14th century, however, the pattern of commercial exchanges had changed, and these great gatherings declined in importance. View towards the chancel from the south aisle

"The Virgin and Her Attributes" in the Chapel of the Assumption

17th-century "Mystic Wine-Press"
Stained glass in the choir Windows in one of the radiating chapels

In 1420, the Treaty of Troyes seemed to settle the Hundred Years War.  Charles VI of France recognized Henry V of England as his heir, disinheriting his own son.
The dauphin, however, renounced the treaty and, with the help of Joan of Arc, was crowned Charles VII at Reims in1429.

Note the sculpture of the capital of this nave pier

The left side of the nave is usually better lit, since it faces south

Renaissance facade on the Cathédrale St-Étienne

Châlons-en-Champagne UNESCO World Heritage List

The cathedral was closed for renovation when we visited
Châlons was built on islands in the Marne River. War memorial in front of the cathedral It was known as Châlons-sur-Marne until 1998.
The ambulatory of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux was inspired by St-Rémi in Reims Église Notre-Dame-en-Vaux Notre-Dame-en-Vaux was built between 1157-1217 Notre-Dame-en-Vaux choir
Châlons stands near the site where the Romans defeated Attila the Hun in 451 AD.
Life of the Virgin Mary, in the south aisle The Bishop of Châlons was one of the original feudal peers. Window above the west entrance to the church Peers played a role in the coronation of the kings of France. "Compassion of Our Lady" in the north aisle
"Last Supper" in the south aisle Victory of St. James over the Moors, in the north aisle
There were originally 12 peers (pairies anciennes).  Below is their order of precedence and function at the coronation ceremony: 
  • Archbishop-Duc de Reims – anoints, crowns
  • Bishop-Duc de Laon – bears the Sainte Ampoule containing the sacred ointment
  • Bishop-Duc de Langres – bears the scepter)
  • Bishop-Count of Beauvais – bears the royal mantle
  • Bishop-Count of Châlons – bears the royal ring
  • Bishop-Count of Noyon – bears the belt
  • Duc de Bourgogne – bears the crown, fastens the belt
  • Duc de Normandie – holds the first square banner
  • Duc d'Aquitaine or Guyenne – holds the second square banner
  • Count of Toulouse – carries the spurs
  • Count of Flandres – carries the sword
  • Count of Champagne – holds the royal standard

Basilique Notre-Dame de l'Épine

L'Épine UNESCO World Heritage List

 The interior of the church resembles Reims
The church can be seen some distance away One of the gargoyles that make this church famous
Notre-Dame de l'Épine features some grotesque gargoyles The church was finished by 1527 In 1405, a shepherd found a miraculous statue of the Virgin in a glowing, spiny bush. The gargoyles inspired Victor Hugo, author of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" We were just lucky to see them on a sunny day
Looking up to the northern tower, rebuilt in the 19th century Details of the main portal The south tower features delicate Gothic openwork
Renaissance window depicting the Tree of Jesse, the genealogy of Jesus A pilgrimage church, Notre-Dame de l'Épine, was soon built nearby. Another chapel window
Our Lady of the Spine is notable for its grotesque gargoyles. Renaissance rood screen The church interior resembles the cathedral at Reims.

Stairs to the triforium

 Altar and organ An angel supports the rood screen

Chapel shrine

Picardie 

Amiens westworks, recently cleaned

Amiens
Picardie's capital was heavily damaged during both world wars, yet its cathedral was miraculously spared. This church – named, you guessed it, "Notre-Dame" – is arguably the finest example of Lanceolate Gothic. It was begun in 1220 and finished just 68 years later. "Weeping angel" behind the choir
St Firmin's portal It is the largest of all French cathedrals, twice the volume of Paris' Notre-Dame, with vaults reaching a height of 140 feet. The labyrinth along the floor of the nave served as an initiation for the faithful. High relief choir stall depicting the martyrdom of St Firmin
City clock, in front of the cathedral 12th century belfry One of Amiens' most famous residents was the science fiction author Jules Verne. His funeral was attended by 5,000 mourners, and his remarkable tomb lies in the Cimetière de la Madeleine. Jules Verne tomb

Without a nave, the "front" of the church is the south transept

Beauvais

Tallest vaults in the world St-Pierre is the most ambitious of the Lanceolate cathedrals.
19th-century astronomical clock Begun in 1225, it remains an unfinished masterpiece. "Behind" the church (north transept)
The 157-foot high choir vaults are the tallest in the world. The choir collapsed in 1272 and again in 1284, and the too-tall crossing tower fell in 1573.  The architects finally gave up and never built a nave!
Église St-Étienne While the cathedral was the bishop's church, the nearby Église St-Étienne served the people of the town. Heidi in Beauvais This Romanesque church features one of the earliest rib vaults, as well as a 16th-century "Jesse" window. "Tree of Jesse" by Engrand Le Prince

Laon

 Laon served as the capital of the western Carolingian empire for 150 years. It was supplanted only in the late 10th century by the rising power of Paris and the Île-de-France. Nave, featuring four stories and alternating columns
Laon westworks Laon lies atop a dramatic limestone plateau, which dominates the surrounding Picardie countryside. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame, begun in 1160, represents an older Transitional Gothic style, retaining many Romanesque elements.
The Laon cathedral features an unusually long nave terminating in a rectangular chancel without an ambulatory. Chancel and altar
More westwork details
Some other distinctive characteristics of this early style include a four-story elevation (with tribune); alternating major and minor circular pillars; and sexpartite vaulting of the aisles.

Joan of Arc and the Hôtel de Ville

Compiègne
Compiègne had long been a royal residence when Louis XV commissioned the architect Gabriel to build his great 18th-century château. During the Second Empire, Napoleon III made Compiègne his favorite residence. Napoleon III's favorite palace
Joan of Arc was betrayed by the Burgundians at Compiègne in 1430. They turned her over to the English, who burned her at the stake at Rouen the following year.
On 11 November 1918, the armistice which ended World War I was signed in a rail car at the Clairière de l'Armistice, just 5 miles east of Compiègne.  In 1940, the tables were turned as the Nazis accepted the French surrender in the same spot, then ransacked the rail car.

pierrefonds_towers.jpg (22309 bytes)

Pierrefonds

 pierrefonds_entrance.jpg (28401 bytes)
At first glance, the stronghold looming above this town seems the quintessential medieval castle. In fact, it is an idealized 19th-century neo-Gothic reconstruction by Viollet-le-Duc.

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Lille is the capital of Nord-Pas- de-Calais, one of the most heavily industrialized regions of France.

Lille

 The renewal of Lille's old district began in 1965, revealing beautiful 17th- and18th-century façades.
Across from the Musée des Beaux-Arts
Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange) & Opéra Place du Géneral de Gaulle
Lille is also famous for its 17th- century citadel by the unparalleled military architect, Vauban. Despite its impressive defenses, the town surrendered quickly to the Germans in both world wars.

This page was first published 8 November 2000, and last updated 29 March 2005.