Basilique Saint-Remi

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About Basilique Saint-Remi

The Basilique Saint-Remi is the second major church in Reims and almost matches the cathedral in size: it is 126 metres long. It was built in the 11th century to house the relics of Saint Remi, the bishop of Reims who baptised Clovis, king of the Franks, at the end of the 5th century. The current tomb of the saint, from the 19th century, occupies the centre of the choir.

The interior mixes two styles. The nave is Romanesque, sober and elongated, and the choir, from the late 12th century, is already Gothic, with four levels and lots of light. The contrast between the two parts is what most impresses visitors. The church was part of a large Benedictine abbey and is considered one of the most important Romanesque buildings in northern France.

Next to the basilica, in the 17th- and 18th-century buildings of the former royal abbey, is the Musée Saint-Remi. The museum is organized around a cloister from 1709 and tells the history of Reims from Prehistory to the Renaissance. One section shows Durocortorum, the Roman name of the city, which was the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. There are also rooms of regional archaeology and military history.

The basilica, the former abbey, the cathedral and the Palais du Tau together form a World Heritage site since 1991. The surrounding neighbourhood is quiet and close to the cellars in the hills of Saint-Nicaise.