Reims, << reemz or rahnz >> (pop. 183,113; met. area pop. 322,473), is a city in northern France . It lies on the Vesle River about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Paris , the French capital. Reims is famous for its magnificent Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims. The city is also known for the crowning of French kings. Reims is sometimes spelled Rheims.
Reims lies in France’s Champagne region, which produces the sparkling wine called champagne. The city is a leading center for champagne production and an important wool market. Other products of Reims include machinery, chemicals, soap, paper, and wine bottles and casks.
A Gallic tribe known as the Remi lived in Reims before Roman soldiers established a settlement called Durocortorum there in the 100’s B.C. Durocortorum became a provincial Roman capital, as well as an important center of early Christianity. Roman rule eventually diminished, and the city’s name reverted to Reims. In the A.D. 480’s, Frankish king Clovis I took control of the area. Rémi, or Remigius, the archbishop of Reims, baptized Clovis in the late 490’s. The baptism influenced the tradition of crowning French kings at Reims. The tradition began with Louis I , the son of Charlemagne , in the early 800’s, and ended with Charles X in 1825.
Fire destroyed Reims’s old cathedral in the early 1200’s. Construction of Notre-Dame de Reims began soon after and continued until its completion in 1430. The city contains many other historic buildings, including the Abbey of Saint-Rémi and the Palace of Tau. The cathedral, abbey, and palace are a combined World Heritage Site . Such sites are places of unique cultural or natural importance as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) .
Fighting during World War I (1914-1918) badly damaged Reims and its cathedral. The city and cathedral were soon rebuilt and repaired. Late in World War II (1939-1945), Reims became a major supply base for Allied troops. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed Germany’s statement of surrender in Reims, ending the war in Europe.
