Reims

Reims
Subprefecture and commune
Place Drouet-d'Erlon
Porte de Mars
Hôtel de Ville
Place Royale
Location of Reims
Reims
Reims
Coordinates: 49°15′46″N 4°02′05″E / 49.2628°N 4.0347°E / 49.2628; 4.0347
CountryFrance
RegionGrand Est
DepartmentMarne
ArrondissementReims
CantonReims-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
IntercommunalityCU Grand Reims
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Arnaud Robinet[1] (LR)
Area
1
46.9 km2 (18.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
178,478
 • Density3,800/km2 (9,900/sq mi)
DemonymRémois(e)[3]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
51454 /51100
Elevation80–135 m (262–443 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Reims (/ˈrmz/ REEMZ;[4] French: [ʁɛ̃s] ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the Marne department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, and the 12th most populous city in the country. The city lies 129 km (80 mi) northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne river.

Founded by the Gauls, Reims became a major city in the Roman Empire.[5] Reims later played a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The royal anointing was performed at the Cathedral of Reims, which housed the Holy Ampulla of chrism allegedly brought by a white dove at the baptism of Frankish king Clovis I in 496. For this reason, Reims is often referred to in French as la cité des sacres ("the Coronation City").

Reims is recognized for the diversity of its heritage, ranging from Romanesque to Art-déco. Reims Cathedral, the adjacent Palace of Tau, and the Abbey of Saint-Remi were listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 because of their outstanding Romanesque and Gothic architecture and their historical importance to the French monarchy.[6] Reims also lies on the northern edge of the Champagne wine region and is linked to its production and export.

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 6 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
  3. ^ "English translation of 'rémois'". collinsdictionary.com. HarperCollins Publishers LLC. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Reims". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  5. ^ "Reims". Nouveau petit Larousse. 1971. p. 1638.
  6. ^ "Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 17 October 2021.