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Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims

THE WEST END

MAP OF THE FRENCH PILGRIMS' ROADS TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

EARLY MEDIEVAL FRENCH SAINTS, KINGS AND QUEENS

View from the north-west

World War I

Reims suffered terribly at the barrels of German artillery in World War I.  The main roof of the Abbey of St-Remi was destroyed, as was the south aisle roof of the cathedral - the south aisle columns still show the marks left by artillery shells.  Many of the windows and statues were smashed.  The town itself was literally flattened, with the population dwindling to almost nothing by the time the war finished.  It took 20 years to rebuild the cathedral, work aided greatly by money from the Rockefeller Foundation, and the restored building was inaugurated in July 1938, just in time for .....

Amongst the cathedral treasures smashed was the famous "smiling angel" statue in the central west doorway.  Luckily, in the  late 1800s Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, both saviour and ruiner (when he redesigned them as he thought they should have been built in the first place) of many medieval buildings,  had been behind the setting up of the Musée National des Monuments Français in Paris.  This contains faithful copies of everything medieval from tympanums down, and it was to this collection that Reims turned to get the new smiler who, in 2007, remained bubbly despite the loss of her right wing.

The main west portal and its surrounds (Autumn 2007)  are emerging from major renovations - the south door surrounds have been cleaned and the surrounding areas repaved. 

CENTRE PORTAL

Amongst the cathedral treasures smashed by German shelling in WW I was the famous "smiling angel" statue in the central west doorway.  Luckily, in the  late 1800s Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, both saviour and ruiner (when he redesigned them as he thought they should have been built in the first place) of many medieval buildings,  had been behind the setting up of the Musée National des Monuments Français in Paris.  This contains faithful copies of everything medieval from tympanums down, and it was to this collection that Reims turned to get the new smiler who, in 2007, remained bubbly despite the loss of her right hand and wing.

Note on the wall to the left of the angel the remains of what could be monthly labours ..... and presumably there are more on the other side of the doorway.

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