Abbey of St. Remigius

By the 7th century, a small religious community was founded on this site, the purpose of which was to take care of the grave of the Reims Archbishop Remigius, who died in 533 . Remigius is considered the enlightener and spiritual patron of the Franks , as well as the bishop who converted the king of the Franks of Clovis to the Christian faith.

At the end of the VIII century, instead of a church community, a monastic community appeared here, and in 790, Archbishop Tilpin introduced the charter of the Benedictine monastic order in this new abbey. By about 930, the abbey was strengthened by raids by the Vikings and Hungarians , and from 945 a period of significant growth of the abbey began, coinciding with the beginning of the advancement of the Kluni Reform by Archbishop Hugo de Vermandois .

In 1049, a new, larger, abbey church was consecrated by Pope Leo IX . The abbey was partially destroyed by a fire in 1098 . After this fire, the abbey was rebuilt and decorated until the 12th century under the direction of Abbot Odon. The capitals that have survived in our time in the Hall of the Capitul date from precisely this period and are the last traces of the ancient medieval building of the abbey. During the reign of Louis XI, the abbey received the status of a church benefice and since 1472 was governed by the assignment of the Great Prior . On February 9, 1627, the abbey passed into the congregation of St. Moor .

From the end of the 17th century, the old medieval buildings of the abbey were demolished in stages, and a new main building was erected in their place. This reconstruction was initiated by order of Charles-Maurice Letellier, Archbishop of Reims and Rector-Beneficiary of the Abbey of St. Remigius. Construction work continued at the abbey from 1709 to 1730 and culminated in the construction of a new cloister (preserved to this day), designed by architect Jean Bonhomme.

Part of the abbey’s building was destroyed due to arson on the night of January 16, 1774 , and in July of that year, the royal architect Louis Duroche set about restoring the burned-out parts of the building. Also, under his leadership, a majestic pediment facade was erected, the main staircase created in 1700 by Jean Bonhomon was reconstructed in 1778.

Benedictine monks were expelled from the abbey in 1792 during the French Revolution , and military hospitals were located within the walls of the abbey of St. Remigius from 1793 to 1816. Then, from 1827, the city almshouse was located in the abbey building, transformed in 1903 into a city hospital, which was in these walls until the outbreak of World War II.

The idea to organize a museum in the building of the former abbey arose in the 1950s, but only in August 1978 the official decision was made to open the museum. At the same time, starting in 1968, extensive reconstruction and restoration works were carried out in the abbey buildings, which are now completed.

June 22, 1717 the abbey of St. Remigius was visited by Tsar Peter I ; in the Capitul Hall, he was introduced to the Holy Glass-Maker , used in the coronation ceremony of the French kings.

After the troops of Emperor Alexander I occupied Reims during the Overseas Campaign of the Russian Army of 1813-14, a Russian military hospital was located within the walls of the abbey. In 1814, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich Volkonsky was appointed military governor of Reims, whose portrait, painted in the same 1814, is presented in the museum.

In 1901, Emperor Nicholas II visited the defensive fortifications of Reims, and a military parade was given in his honor.

In July 1916, the abbey, which had already become a civilian hospital by that time, received wounded soldiers from the Russian Expeditionary Force , who had fought in World War I in France.

The exposition of the Museum of Saint-Remy, located in the building of the former Abbey of Saint Remigius , covers the historical period from the prehistoric era to the Renaissance (approximately 1530). In its permanent exhibition there are several archaeological collections of the Champagne region - the primitive society, the Gallic and Gallo-Roman periods, the Merovingian era and the Medieval period - as well as classical archaeological collections (Greeks and Etruscans). The museum also features an impressive collection of ancient weapons, gear and uniforms, items from the 16th century to the 19th century.

The collection of the Gallo-Roman period is located in the premises of the ancient cuisine of the abbey and a large monastic dining room of the XVII century. These premises were opened to the public in 1986 . The exhibits presented here underline the role of Reims, then named Durocortorum , the capital of the Roman province of Belgica . The sarcophagus of Flavius ​​Jovin , commander-in-chief of the Romans in Gaul , deserves special mention, since this is the best preserved marble marble sarcophagus in France.

In the tapestry hall are ten magnificent tapestries, which depict fragments of the life of St. Remigius and his miracles. These draperies were made between 1523 and 1531 by order of the Reims Archbishop Robert de Lenoncourt, who presented them as a gift to the abbey.

On the premises next to the tapestry hall, the history of the origin and development of the basilica , as well as the abbey itself, is presented, using the example of exhibits discovered during archaeological excavations in the abbey.

The archaeological collection of the Champagne region occupies seven large rooms. Separate mention is made of the remains of the cenotaph of 4 years of our era, the reconstructed second floor of the famous House of Musicians of the 13th century and the painting of the 17th century representing the church of Saint-Nicaise in ruins.

The Saint-Remy Museum presents one of the largest and most diverse among provincial museums, a collection of weapons, military armor and uniforms of various historical periods.

• Basilica of St. Remigius

• Museum page on the website of the Reims Tourism Office