View of the cathedral

From here, you have a superb view of the western façade of the cathedral that enables you to clearly see just how intricate its architecture is. Did you know that the roof structure was completely rebuilt following the Great War? And that it was financed by major American families such as the Fords, the Carnegies and the Rockfellers? After the war, the chief architect, Henri Deneux, developed an innovative but very costly process to recreate the framework, assembling small reinforced cement elements to protect it from flames.  However, the framework is not the only interesting feature of the cathedral. The stained glass windows are also worth mentioning. The only stained glass windows to have survived the war are the large rose window on the main façade, the one on the north façade and a few high windows. In itself, this is not bad, given that they date straight back to the 13th century! The others were added after the World War II. Their designers are Jacques Simon, Imi Koebel, Brigitte Simon-Marq and Marc Chagall, who worked with Charles Marq on the 3 stained glass windows in the axial chapel. Indeed, only great talents were chosen to give this cathedral a look as worthy as its history!  By the way, did you know that it was an ancient labyrinth in Reims cathedral that inspired the current logo for Historic Monuments ? I’m talking about the one that represents a red labyrinth, which can be seen on all listed or registered monuments.  The logo was officially submitted in 1985. It was created based on plans of the labyrinth that used to be drawn on the floor of the cathedral. It was shaped like a square, measuring over 12 metres wide, with architects who had contributed to the cathedral’s construction positioned at each of its corners. Sadly, it was destroyed in 1779 because it distracted children who played with it during recollections. Fortunately, it was possible to reconstitute it thanks to drawings that were made just before its removal. The figures of the architects in the corners were left out and the labyrith turned into the Historic Monuments logo! From now on you’ll think of Reims every time you see this logo! On this note, I’ll leave you to continue your tour. More information will be provided when you get to the front of the cathedral!