- Building Information
Reims
(Marne, France)
Cathedral of Notre-Dame
Surveyed: 1969, 1977, 1980-83, 2003, 2009, 2014
- Locator Map
Reims (Marne, France) - Cathedral of Notre-Dame
- Disclaimer
The dating found here is based on the work of John James, and is meant on this site to serve as a starting point. James' dating is derived from a system that uses his interpretation of the development of capitals over time as the basis for chronology, among other factors. His goal is to refine the dating to within years rather than decades. I have not fully embraced James' methodology, and will be developing this page from its current state to one which is admittedly more conservative. The relative expenditure values found in the Timeline are also based on James' work, and I believe these to be reasonably reliable. They are intended only to give a sense of the amount of work involved in each decade.

I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.
- Timeline with Relative Expenditure (if available, in building units)




- Project A - 1210s - Phase 1 - choir (d)
Choir dado arcade, bases 1-7
- Project A - 1210s - Phase 2 - choir wall (a)
Wall capitals and tracery windows
- Project A - 1220s - Phase 3 - nave (a)
Nave 1-7 aisle piers and start of vaults
- Project A - 1220s - Phase 4 - north portal
North portal
- Project A - 1220s - Phase 5 - ambulatory pier (a)
Ambulatory and chapel piers and vaults
- Project A - 1230s - Phase 6 - samctuary piers
Sanctuary piers, comple eastern aisle vaults
- Project A - 1230s - Phase 7 - choir (t)
Triforium capitals
- Project A - 1230s - Phase 8 - transept (a)
Outer piers of the transepts
- Project A - 1230s - Phase 9 - revolt
Revolt
- Project A - 1240s - Phase 10 - choir (c)
Clerestory capitals, transepts
- Project A - 1240s - Phase 11 - choir (rc)
Cornice, roof
- Project A - 1240s - Phase 12 - choir (v)
Choir vaults
- Primary Sources for Dating
1210 or 1211 - REIMS
Cathedral burns
…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.

GC 1751, ix, col. 104.
1210, May 6 - REIMS
Fire.
1210, the metropolitan church of Reims along with a large part of the city was burned on May 6.

Chronico anonymi laudunensis canonici, in Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, xviii, pg. 714.
1210, May 6 - REIMS
Cathedral burns
…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.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.
1211 - REIMS
Fire and intense activity for 20 years.
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.

Chronica Albrici Monachi Trium Fontium: A Monacho Novi Monasterii Hoiensis Interpolata, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xxiii, pg. 892.
1211, May 6 - REIMS
Construction begins
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.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.
1218 or later - REIMS
Obituary for Aubry de Humbert
…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…

Varin, Pierre, Archives legislative de la ville de Reims; Statuts, I, Paris, 1844, 104.
1221 - REIMS
Funds.
…magnificent structure and so very costly [and so indulgences were granted to those who contributed] to the building of this church.

Pressutti, Pietro, ed., Regesta honorii papae III, 2 vols. Rome, 1888-96, i, No. 3306.
1226 - REIMS
Louis IX crowned.
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.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.
1228, 12 December - REIMS
Reference to the nave
…when the procession of holy days should return to the nave of the church, before the crucifix, in clean shirts and trousers…

Varin, Pierre, Archives administratives de la ville de Reims, 1839, I, cxiii, 543.
1233 - REIMS
Canons ejected and construction stops.
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.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.
1235 - REIMS
Citizens revolt
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.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 85.
1240 - REIMS
The archbishop, Henri de Braine, buried in front of the high altar
This year Henri de Braine died in our humble presence…and was carried to Reims and buried before the high altar.

Annales Remenses: Annales S. Nicasii Remenses, in G.H. Pertz, Monumenta Germania Historica, Scriptores, xiii, pg. 86.
1241 - REIMS
Cathedral took 30 years to build
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.

Gallia Christiana, Paris, 1751, ix, col. 104.
1241, September 7 - REIMS
Canons take possession of the sanctuary
This year on the eve of the Nativity of the Virgin the Chapter of Reims entered their new choir.

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