Reims, Notre-Dame
REIMS

Building Data for Reims, Notre-Dame

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  • Type: Cathedral
  • Affiliation:
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  • Region: Champagne-Ardenne
  • Department: Marne
  • Coords: 49.253, 4.0336
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  • Surveyed: 1969, 1977, 1980-83, 2003, 2009, 2014

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Documents for Reims, Notre-Dame

1210



Fire 6 May.

ANNUS 1210 IN VIGILIA SANCTI DOMITIANI EPISCOPI IN NOCTE COMBUSTA EST ILLA NOBILIS ET SPETIOSA REMENSIS MAIOR ECCLESIA CUM MAIORI PARTE CIVITATIS...

In the year 1210 on the eve of the feast of the bishop Saint Domitian, the major church of Reims was burned during the night, along with a large part of the town...

Source: MGH, xvi, 663. Reineri annales.

1210 or 1211



Cathedral burns

...VEL ANNO 1210 PRID. NON. MAII EX CHRONICO NICASIANO, VEL ANNO 1221 EX ALBERICO, MAIOR BASILICA INCENDIO CONSUMATA EST.

...either the first of the nones of May, the year 1210 according to the Chronicle of Nicaise, or the year 1211 according to Alberic, the great church was consumed by fire.

Source: GC 1751, ix, col. 104.

1210, May 6



Fire.

ANNO MCCX, REMENSIS ECCLESIA METROPOLIS CUM MAGNA PARTE CIVITATIS INCENDITUR II NONAS MAI.

1210, the metropolitan church of Reims along with a large part of the city was burned on May 6.

Source: Chronico anonymi laudunensis canonici, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xviii, pg. 714.

Reinhardt, La cathédrale, quotes six other documents which also describe the fire. Inconsistencies discussed by Salet, "Le premier colloque…", pp. 347-394.

1210, May 6



Cathedral burns

...HOC ANNO COMBUSTA EST REMENSIS ECCLESIA IN FESTO BEATI IOANNIS ANTE PORTAM LATINAM. EODAM DIE FACTA EST ECLIPSIS SOLIS CIRCA MERIDIEM.

...this year the cathedral of Reims was burned during the feast of John the Baptist to the Porta Latina. On the same day an eclipse of the sun occurred around noon.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.

1211



Fire and intense activity for 20 years.

ANNO 1211...ECCLESIA BEATE MARIE REMENSIS MAIOR ET MATER CETERARUM HUIUS PROVINCIE CUM MAIORI PARTE CIVITATIS HOC ANNO VIGILA SANCTI DOMITIANI COMBUSTA EST PER NEGLIGENTIAM, SED CUM INDUSTIRA MAXIMA PER ANNOS 20 MIRABILI OPERE RESTAURATUR.

1211...the church of Notre-Dame at Reims, and mother church of this province, along with a large part of the city, was through negligence burned on the vigils of Saint Domitian, and indeed for more than 20 years with industry restored the extraordinary work.

Source: Chronica Albrici Monachi Trium Fontium: A Monacho Novi Monasterii Hoiensis Interpolata, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xxiii, pg. 892.

1211





ECCLESIA B. M. REMCUM MAGNA CIVITATIS PARTE COMBUSTA EST AN 1211 SED CUM MAXIMA INDUSTRIA PER ANNOS VIGINTI MIRABILI OPERE RESTAURATUR.

The church of Notre-Dame and the greater part of the city of Reims burned in 1211 and was restored through great industry and miraculous works over twenty years.

Source: Marlot, Metropolis, ii, 456-470.


1211



Construction begins.

1211, EODEM DIE ANNO REVOLUTO PARIETES DE NOVO SUPER FUNDAMENTA MAGNE PROFUNDITATIS ET LATITUDINIS CEPERANT INSTITUI EX PARTE DOMINI ARCHIEPISCOPI.

1211, this year a bringing back of the new from the ruins upon very deep and wide foundations was instituted on behalf of the lord archbishop.

Source: MGH, Scriptores, xiii,  85. Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses.


1211, May 6



Construction begins

1211, EODEM DIE ANNO REVOLUTO PARIETES DE NOVO SUPER FUNDAMENTA MAGNE PROFUNDITATIS ET LATITUDINIS CEPERANT INSTITUI EX PARTE DOMINI ARCHIEPISCOPI.

1211, this year a bringing back of the new from the ruins upon very deep and wide foundations was instituted on behalf of the lord archbishop.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.

1218 or later



Obituary for Aubry de Humbert

...AD AMPLIANDAM ECCLESIAM NOSTRAM, ET CULTUM EJUSDEM, ET AD OPUS CIMITERII DEDIT NOBIS MAGNAM PARTEM DOMUS...

...to enlarge our church, and the worship therein, and for the work of the cemetery, he gave to us a large part of his house...

Source: Varin, Pierre, Archives legislative de la ville de Reims; Statuts, I, Paris, 1844, 104.

1221



Funds.

...STRUCTURA EGREGIA ET ADEA DISPENDIOSA...IPSA ECCLESIA FABRICATUR.

...magnificent structure and so very costly [and so indulgences were granted to those who contributed] to the building of this church.

Source: Pressutti, Pietro, ed., Regesta honorii papae III, 2 vols. Rome, 1888-96, i, No. 3306.

1226



Louis IX crowned.

EODEM ANNO PRIMOGENITUS DOMINI LUGDOVICI, VIDELICET LUGDOVICUS NOMINE, CORONATUS EST REMIS PRIMA DIE ADVENTUS DOMINI A DOMINO EPISCOPO SUESSIONENSI.

In this first year of Lord Louis, that is the aforementioned Louis, was crowned by our lord bishop of Soissons at Reims the first day of Advent.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.

1228, 12 December



Reference to the nave

...CUM PROCESSIO DIEI DOMINICE REDIERIT IN NAVI ECCLESIE, ANTE CRUCIFIXUM, IN PURIS CAMISIIS ET BRACCIS...

......nave of the church, before the crucifix, in clean shirts and trousers...

Source: Varin, Pierre, Archives administratives de la ville de Reims, 1839, I, cxiii, 543.

Implies that part of old nave was still in place.

1233



Canons ejected and construction stops.

1233. HOC ANNO ECCLESIA REMENSI EXISTENTE IN MULTA PACE ET HONORE, CIVES MULTI DE BANNO ARCHIEPISCOPI ET DE BANNO CAPITULI...TIMENTES, NE CONTRA EOS FIERET INQUISITO DE USURA, CONSPIRATIONE INTER SE FACTA, POPULO CONTRA CAPITULAUM SEDICIOSE COMMOTO, PER INIURIAS ET VITUPERIA CANONICIS ET SUBDIIS SUIS FACTA, IPSOS CANONICOS METU MORTIS 5. IDUS NOVEMBRIS DE CIVITATE FUGERE COMPULERUNT.

1233. In this year while the church rising greatly through peace and honor, the countrymen, fearing the proclamation of the archbishop and the proclamation of the chapter that they should be examined about usury, and conspiracy, the populace rose up against the chapter, and the clergy and their servants, fearing injury and blame, these canons were compelled to flee the city on the 5th of the Ides of November fearing death.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.

1235



Citizens revolt

IN QUA TEMPESTATE CIVES, FAVENTE EIS ET FOVENTE REGIA POTESTATE, CONTRA CASTRUM ET PORTA MARTIS CUM PETRARIIS DE MANGONELLIS COMMUNEM INSULTUM FECERUNT ET MARESCALCUM ARCHIEPISCOPI INTUS QUARRELLO OCCIDERUNT. CIVITATEM MURIS TERREIS SUBITO CINXERUNT, QUOS POSTEA DESTRUERE COMPULSI SUNT.

In which season, with the favor of the citizens and those in power, Pierre de Mangonelles attacked the castrum and the Port du Mars and the marshalls of the archbishop were killed. They surrounded the city with earthen walls, which they were forced to destroy afterwards.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.

1236



Archbishop restored 4 January.

HENRICUS...REMENSIS ARCHIEPISCOPUS...PRECEPIMUS...CIVIBUS, UT PRO HONORE ET REVERENTIA S. ECCLESIE CAPITULO REVERTENTI OCCURANT AD HARENAS IUXTA PORTAM MARTIS...NUDIS PEDIBUS EMENDAM FACIANT CAPITULO...DATUM ANNO DOMINI MCCXXXVI, DIE DOMINICA POST CIRCUMCISIONEM DOMINI.

Henri...archbishop of Reims...admonished...the citizens, such that for the honor and reverence of the holy church they met the chapter at the beach near the Port du Mars...in bare feet they made atonement to the chapter...dated the year of Our Lord 1236, the Sunday after the Feast of the Circumcision.

Source: Varin, Archives, i, No. clxxii, 624-626.

1240



The archbishop, Henri de Braine, buried in front of the high altar

HOC ANNO APUD CURVILLAM DECESSIT HENRICUS DE BRANA...ET APORTATUS FUIT REMIS ET SEPULTUS ANTE MAIUS ALTARE.

This year Henri de Braine died in our humble presence...and was carried to Reims and buried before the high altar.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 86.

A window in choir clerestory, inscribed ANRICVS, the signature of Henri de Braine, was inserted presumably after his death.

1241



Cathedral took 30 years to build

VEL ANNO 1211 EX ALBERICO, MAJOR BASILICA INCENDIO CONSUMA EST. ANNO SEQUENTI, NOVAE ILLIUS ET ELEGANTISSIMAE QUAE ADHUC PERSTAT FUNDAMENTA, JACTA SUNT. VIRGINTI AUTEM EX ALBERICO, EX ALIIS VERO TRIGINTA ANNI HUIC RESTAURATIONI IMPENSI SUNT, QUAMVIS SCRIPSERINT QUIDAM CHORUM EJUSDEM CUM ECCLESIA SANCTAE NUTRICUS CONSECRATUM FUISSE AB ALBERICO XV CAL. NOVEMBR. ANNO 1215.

In the year 1211, according to Alberic, the main church was destroyed by fire. The following year, new and elegant foundations were raised. According to Alberic, twenty years were spent in restoring the church, though it was really more like thirty, although it was documented by the chapter that the church was consecrated by Alberic the 15th of November, 1215.

Source: Gallia Christiana, Paris, 1751, ix, col. 104.

1241, September 7



Canons take possession of the sanctuary

HOC ANNO IN VIGILIA NATIVITATIS BEATE MARIE VIRGINIS INTRAVIT CAPITULUM REMENSE CHORUM SUUM NOVUM.

This year on the eve of the Nativity of the Virgin the Chapter of Reims entered their new choir.

Source: Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 86.


1210



Fire 6 May.

1210, ECCLESIA SANCTE MARIE REMENSIS INOPINATO INCENDIO CONCREMATUR...

1210, the church of Notre-Dame de Reims was unexpectedly consumed by fire...

Source: MGH, v, 16. Annales Elnonenses majores.



1221



Chapel founded 1 July.

...QUOD CAPELLANI ET CLERICI DE CHORO REMENSI DICTAM MISSAM DE BEATA VIRGINE DECETERO IN COMMUNI IN CAPELLA QUE DICITUR SANCTI JACOBI,...

...that the chaplains and clerics of the choir of Reims said the mass of the Virgin together properly in the chapel of Saint Jacques,...

Source: Archives de Reims, Fonts du chapitre, G 408, No. 1. Also Reinhardt, 1963, 230, note 10.

Reinhardt, 1963, 71, suggests that the chapel of Saint Jacques was the axial chapel. Salet, 1967, 364, is not certain.