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Basilique Sainte-Clotilde de Reims

Reims

The Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde de Reims is a Catholic minor basilica located in the heart of the Sainte-Anne district in Reims. Erected by Pope Leo XIII, it was built in 1896 by the Reims architect Alphonse Gosset for the fourteenth centenary of King Clovis’s baptism. Placed under the name of Sainte Clotilde, the building pays tribute to Clovis’s wife, who is associated with the conversion of the Frankish king. Its neo-Byzantine architecture is shaped like a Greek cross and surmounted by a dome, with inspiration drawn from the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome and the Church of Saint Augustine in Paris. Built at the instigation of Cardinal Benoît Langénieux, then archbishop of Reims, it was intended to represent the saints of France. The basilica received relics from dioceses across France and stores more than 120 reliquaries and more than 2,000 relics in its crypt.

Map showing the location of Basilique Sainte-Clotilde de Reims in Reims
Location of Basilique Sainte-Clotilde de Reims in Reims

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Sainte-Clotilde in Reims

The Basilique Sainte-Clotilde de Reims is a Catholic minor basilica erected by Pope Leo XIII. It is located at the heart of the Sainte-Anne district in Reims. Its designation as a minor basilica and its central position in the district give it a notable place within the local religious and urban landscape.

Architecture and History of the Basilica

The Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Reims was raised in 1896 by the Reims architect Alphonse Gosset for the fourteenth centenary of King Clovis's baptism. It was placed under the vocable of Sainte Clotilde in a neo-Byzantine style building shaped like a Greek cross and surmounted by a dome. The building pays tribute to Clovis's wife, who originated the conversion of the Frankish king.

The basilica was built at the instigation of Cardinal Benoit Langenieux, then archbishop of Reims, to represent the saints of France. It is also inspired by the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome and the Church of Saint Augustine in Paris. As a reliquary church, it received relics from all dioceses representing saints who marked the history of France. The crypt stores more than 120 reliquaries and more than 2,000 relics.

The basilica remains associated with commemorations of Clovis's baptism. It was one of the places celebrating the fifteenth centenary of that baptism in 1996, in the presence of Pope John Paul II. It was later damaged by a fire during roofing repairs, losing 350 square meters of roofing and almost entirely destroying the north semi-dome, while the rest of the monument and the relics in the crypt were unharmed. The basilica reopened at a later date.

Visiting is limited to two months each year, July and August, on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and during Heritage Days on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. thanks to the association of Friends of the Reliquary of the Saints of France.

The Surroundings of the Basilica

The basilica is accessed by avenue Sainte-Clotilde, and the nearby grounds can also be reached from rue de Verzy. One of the main adjacent spaces is the square rue de Verzy, an area established in 1980. This square includes a central clearing surrounded by large trees, creating an open but shaded setting near the basilica. It also offers two children's play areas, a ping-pong table, and a boules court. In addition, there is a dog area with a water point, showing that the surroundings serve both as a place of passage and as a public leisure space.