- TURY.CLUB
- Tourist Objects
- France
- Reims
- Abbey of Saint-Rémy (Museum of Saint-Rémy)
The former Abbey of Saint-Rémy in the city of Reims was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. In the basilica of the former Benedictine monastery, from the 6th century to this day, the relics of Saint Remigius are kept, who baptized the first king of the Franks from the Merovingian dynasty, Clovis I, in 498 in the Reims Cathedral. Until 1793, the Saint-Remy Abbey kept the Holy Glass - a small glass vial with sacred oil, which was added to the ointment used in the rite of anointing of the kings of France during their coronation ceremony at Reims Cathedral. According to legend, Saint Remy used this oil during the baptism of Clovis I, and the bottle itself was brought to him by a dove sent by God to anoint the king of the Franks. The Holy Glass Lady left the walls of the Abbey of Saint-Rémy only on the days of the coronation. The sacred relic from the Basilica of Saint-Rémy to the Reims Cathedral "moved" accompanied by the abbot of the abbey, the knights (barons) of the Order of the Holy Glass and four "Hostages of the Holy Glass", who at the cost of their own lives had to protect the shrine.<br>The Abbey of Saint-Rémy was founded in 760 by Archbishop Jean Turpin at the burial site of Saint Remigius. At that time, there already existed a church in which the remains of Saint-Rémy, who died in 533, were buried. By the 9th century, the Abbey of Saint-Remy had become one of the most powerful in France and had the status of “royal”. Using the patronage of the French kings and receiving huge donations from representatives of noble aristocratic families, the monastery quickly expanded and grew rich. Being the abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Rémy was so prestigious that the archbishops of Reims were also abbots of the monastery for a long time, often receiving the kings of France and the popes within its walls. <br>The Abbey of Saint-Rémy remained influential and prosperous until the French Revolution, during which the monastery was closed, the Benedictine monks were expelled, the Basilica of Saint-Rémy was plundered, and the sacred relic of the Holy Glass was broken by the French revolutionaries.<br>In 1793-1816 years, the former Abbey of Saint-Rémy housed military hospitals, including the Russian one (during the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813-1814), then the city almshouse and hospital (before the start of World War II).<br>In 1950 it was a decision was made to locate a museum in the former Saint-Rémy Abbey, although the museum was opened only in 1978. And 10 years earlier, in 1968, work began at the abbey to restore and reconstruct its buildings and interiors. Some surviving premises of the 12th-13th centuries, monastery buildings of the 17th-18th centuries were restored (they were erected in 1709-1730 on the site of dilapidated medieval abbey buildings by order of the Archbishop of Reims Charles-Maurice Letelier), a majestic pediment façade, a cloister, a courtyard with fountain, a medieval hall, the Grand Staircase of Louis XVI, the Chapter House of the 13th century, the ancient kitchen of the abbey and the large monastic dining room of the 17th century, the magnificent grand staircase and much more.<br>The Saint-Rémy Museum presents exhibits covering the historical period, starting with Prehistoric era and ending with the Renaissance - archaeological finds, collections of ancient weapons and battle armor, mosaics, sculptures, steles, ancient capitals, tombstones and marble sarcophagi. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the history of the Abbey of Saint-Rémy, and in the hall of tapestries you can see ten luxurious tapestries, which depict scenes from the life of Saint Remigius and the miracles performed by him. These tapestries were made in the 16th century by order of the Archbishop of Reims Robert de Lenoncourt and until the French Revolution they decorated the choir of the Basilica of Saint-Rémy.
