What happened to the cathedral in 1914?

It was badly damaged by shelling

Reims Cathedral Quiz: The Smiling Angel and Royal Coronations

This Reims Cathedral quiz steps inside the Gothic church where France crowned its kings. Play 10 interactive questions on Clovis's baptism, coronations over many centuries, Joan of Arc and Charles VII in 1429, the Smiling Angel statue, thousands of carved figures, shelling in 1914, Rockefeller-funded repairs, Marc Chagall's windows and the city's champagne.

Start Reims Cathedral Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

City
Which French city is the cathedral in?
Role
What was Reims Cathedral famous for?
Clovis
Which Frankish king was baptized in Reims around 496?
Joan
Who led Charles VII to be crowned there in 1429?
Angel
Which statue is a symbol of the city?
Statues
About how many statues decorate the cathedral?
1914
What happened to the cathedral in 1914?
Repairs
Whose donations helped restore it after World War I?
Chagall
Which artist designed modern stained glass windows there?
Drink
Which sparkling wine is the city famous for?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which French city is the cathedral in?
Answer: Reims
It is in the Champagne region.
Q2: What was Reims Cathedral famous for?
Answer: Coronations of French kings
Many kings were crowned there.
Q3: Which Frankish king was baptized in Reims around 496?
Answer: Clovis
This made Reims a sacred site.
Q4: Who led Charles VII to be crowned there in 1429?
Answer: Joan of Arc
She stood beside him at the coronation.
Q5: Which statue is a symbol of the city?
Answer: The Smiling Angel
It stands on the west facade.
Q6: About how many statues decorate the cathedral?
Answer: Over 2,000
Its facades are crowded with figures.
Q7: What happened to the cathedral in 1914?
Answer: It was badly damaged by shelling
Fire swept the roof.
Q8: Whose donations helped restore it after World War I?
Answer: John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Repairs took decades.
Q9: Which artist designed modern stained glass windows there?
Answer: Marc Chagall
They were installed in 1974.
Q10: Which sparkling wine is the city famous for?
Answer: Champagne
Cellars run under the city.

Coronations, the Smiling Angel and Chagall's Glass

Reims Cathedral, in the Champagne region of northeast France, is one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe. Its importance began with the baptism of the Frankish king Clovis in Reims around 496, and for centuries most French kings were crowned there.

In 1429 Joan of Arc led Charles VII to Reims for his coronation, a turning point in the Hundred Years' War. The cathedral's facades hold over 2,000 statues, and the Smiling Angel on the west front has become a symbol of the city. In 1914 German shelling set the roof ablaze and badly damaged the building.

Donations from John D. Rockefeller Jr. helped pay for decades of repairs. In 1974 stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall were installed, adding deep blues to the medieval church. The cathedral became a UNESCO site in 1991, and visitors can also tour the champagne cellars beneath the city.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans will enjoy these questions.

Why kings were crowned there
Who was baptized there
Which statues are famous
What happened in wartime
Which modern art it holds

Did You Know?

The Palace of Tau next door held coronation banquets.
Its labyrinth floor design was removed in the 1700s.
Light shows illuminate the facade on summer nights.
Gothic pointed arches let in more light.
Champagne houses offer tours of chalk cellars.