Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-09-29
RARE ART AND
ARCHITECTURE
AT RHEIMS


From early Gothic To R0mancSquc. and
from Romanesqne To Renaissance the
buildings Of Rheims reveal. better than
any records, the city's historical develop
mcnt. And ~ all the buildings illustra-
tive OF their various periods there are
said 10 be no better examples than those
reported destroyed by the shells of Ger
mans-.hc Cathedral Of N0trc Dame ana
the Church OF -. Jacques, fine monu-
mcnts Of early Gothic; the later Gothic
edifice Of the Archbishop's palace, and
finally the City Hall a handsome work
81 the best period Of the French Renais-
sance.
No one really knows who designed
and built the cathedral. although the
names ~ the two Roberts de Concy and
Of the monk Hughes Labergicr are ira
ditionally connected with its beginnings.
The first stones were laid i'm I'LL; the
choir was finished 30 years later. to-
gether with the transepts and part Of
the nave, while the superb west facade
dates from the latter part Of he thir-
teenth century. This last is adorned with
thANN NA10A~AA( AEA&N~NA tfWAAAAN tNItAAAA~
ing go statues.
The r0Sc window Il in the centre Oh a
group Of three. and is nearly 40 feet IN
diameter. In the inches i'm the tnrrets
M the spring Of the towers are the fig.
ures Of -. John On the left ndd Of the
Madonna and II. Paul on the right. On
the same level are the figures Of tn, other
Apostles and of Biblical characters
David and Solomon. David and Goliath.
Higher still and extending quite across
the facade. are ~ statues representing
scenes from French medieval history.
The two towers. which rise aG7 feet
from the street. were never capped with
spires. In 1IS5 a fire nearly destroyed
the structure. and after that all idea
of placing the spires on the towers was
abandoned. Aside from the portals. the
facade and the towers. the most note
worthy features OF the building are the
flying buttresses and the open arcade
Just below the spring Of the roof.
The interior. which II cruciform. l.
i55 feet long and ~ feet wide: The dis.
lance from she middle aisle "a the high.
est point in the roof is Ii feet. Here.
in inches In the walls. il another multi
tnde NJ statues. and In the nave and
transcpts are preserved some valuable
tapestry representing Biblical scenes and
scenes from the history of mcdiaeval
France. In the south ~tramsept j. n
painting Nv Poussin. representing The
Shower orr Mamma In the adjoining
chapel arc IN altar piece nv Pierre
Jacques. Of Rheims. and a striking cru.
ciix Of the fifteenth and sixteenth cen
turtles respectively.
The famous clock with its mechanical
figures. many copies Of which have been
made. i in the north transept. and dates
from the sixteenth century. The treas
ury ~ the cathedral. which contains
many historical and valuable vessels IN
gold. * the most remarkable in France.
The treasures include not only the cor
%onation ornaments m various kings. but
the vase Of "a. Ursult. the massive chalice
Of 81 Remigius and a beautiful ivory
liturgical comb. as well a. countless
crucifixes in gold. silver and precious
"o'N~- III tHt~f fclifN HdNt their ~fOF-
ieS. For example. there H. the Sainte
Ampoule. which succeeded the famous
Ampulla Remensis. which . dove is said
e have filed with an incxhaustible store
~ holy oil for the baptism Of Clovis.
Just south or the cathedral IL the Ar.
ehiepiscopai palace. dating from the ff-
tecnth ~ the seventeenth century. II H.
= Inc specimen If Later Gothic. and con
tains the famous Grande Sale an Tau.
where the coronation banquet or Charles
VII WAS served. Its Gothic room and
piece have often heea admired
by art critics. and the piece AaS been
many times reproduced. On iFp. walls
hang many tapestries and the portraits
Of the IA kings Of France who we're
crowned az Rheims. These portraits.
however. are modern work.
The City Hall. or Hotel ID vile. was
In 1921 under Louis XIII. but fin.
only n wears ago. II il surmount.
"a ~ \ lofty tower and contains a val. /
liable library o. 10000 volumes. 600 In.
runabula and l.Sod Mss. Here also are
housed some fine examples al German. I
Flemish and Dutch paintings, and some.