Reims

Reims Cathedral During the Light Show
Reims, France

In college, I took a medieval art/architecture history class, and the professor always encouraged us to visit the places we were studying in class. To the best of my ability, I’ve followed his advice; the Vatican, Cologne cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris, Il Duomo in Florence, Mont St Michel. Reims cathedral was also on the list. I know we won’t see everything on the list, but it’s always fun when words and images become real places.

Architecturally speaking, Reims cathedral isn’t too different from Notre Dame, but the city was a perfect stopping point for the night, and several champagne houses are based there. Furthermore, the cathedral was having an evening light show while we were in town. The show was originally conducted for the 800th anniversary in 2011, but there was an encore presentation this summer.

The show was after sunset, so we walked to the plaza in front of the western façade and waited in the darkness with the gathering crowd; the show used the cathedral as a movie screen, projecting images onto the façade. It started suddenly. The spot lights went dark. Silence fell. Then light returned—with music—illustrating the construction of the building. Step by step, from the architectural plans to the masonry work, the cathedral rose into the sky. The show’s finale was a sequence of rapid color changes that would rival an LSD trip. And then it was done. The crowd dispersed into the night.



The rear of Reims Cathedral
Reims, France

Useful Links!
Pictures from Our Trip!
Video of the Light Show (it's a little long, but really cool if you can hang in there, check out 05:25)
Practical Information for visiting Reims Cathedral
Learn about the Cathedral's History, Windows, and Architecture