The future Musée des Sacres

Did you know that the Palais du Tau was the residence of the kings during the coronation ceremony?

The residence of the archbishop of Reims, itwas from here that the royal procession set off and the great feast was held after the coronation.

From Pepin the Short in 751 to Charles X in 1825, thirty-three kings were crowned during meticulously ritualised ceremonies.

But why Reims? The coronation originated with Clovis' conversion to Christianity and his baptism in Reims when , according to legend, he was anointed by Saint Remi with holy oil brought by a dove in a phial.

This sacredness made him independent of earthly powers and, in the words of Philip Augustus, "emperor in his kingdom".

The new permanent tour will focus on the theme of the coronation of the Kings of France, based on the collections held at the Palais du Tau.

Designed as a show, you'll be invited to take part in the coronation ceremony !

The Hall of the Royal Procession

Charles X was the last French sovereign to be crowned in Reims.

Nostalgic for the absolute monarchy of divine right, the king wanted to erase any legacy of the revolutionary episode and return fully to the ceremonial of the Ancien Régime. On the death without issue of Louis XVIII in 1824, he ascended the throne, reviving a tradition that predated the Revolution, and had himself crowned in Reims with great pomp and ceremony on 29 May 1825.

The sovereign's coat, carefully restored, was presented in a "royal" style...

It was made of hyacinth (purple) silk velvet embroidered with gold and silver threads and lilies, with a satin lining and irregularly shaped ermine beak edging. Its 4.56 m long train is strewn with gold lilies.

The tabards of the heralds, these"purple velvet dalmatic tunics richly embroidered in gold, fringed with twisted gold tassels, lined in white taffeta ", reinforced the spectacular character of the procession. Originally part of the medieval knight's panoply, the tabard was the symbol of the heralds, royal officers placed under the command of the king of arms and taking part in the monarchic pomp, in particular during the coronation ceremony.

Restoration of the upper chapel

Following the fire that ravaged Reims Cathedral and the Palais du Tau in May 1210, major works were undertaken. The two-storey palatine chapel was built between 1215 and 1235.

As part of the project to create the Musée des Sacres, the building underwent a complete restoration.

The upper section will house stained glass windows by Anne and Patrick Poirier, as well as the white marble altar designed by the artist couple.

Thirteen monumental stained glass windows, each measuring 8 x 2 metres, will accentuate the flamboyant Gothic style of the chapel, giving it back its soul!

The altar will be carved from sycamore wood. It will give the impression of being covered by a tablecloth with its fall.

The visitor's eye will focus on these sculpted "folds", before moving up to the central stained glass window in "rose to gold" glass, studded with fleurs-de-lis and offering a view of the sky...

You can play your part in preserving and enhancing a key site in the history of France by joining the Cercle des mécènes du musée des Sacres! To find out more