Notre-Dame de Reims is the Roman Catholic cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 of Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

, where the kings of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 were once crowned. It replaces an older church, destroyed by a fire in 1211, which was built on the site of the basilica

Basilica

The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...

 where Clovis

Clovis I

Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...

 was baptized by Saint Remi

Saint Remigius

Saint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...

, bishop of Reims, in AD 496. That original structure had been erected on the site of the Roman baths

Thermae

In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...

. As the cathedral it remains the seat of the Archdiocese of Reims.

A major site for tourism in the Champagne region, it accommodated half a million visitors in 2006.

See also: Coronation of the French monarch

Coronation of the French monarch

The accession of the King of France was legitimated by coronation ceremony performed with the Crown of Charlemagne at Notre-Dame de Reims. However, the person did not need to be crowned in order to be recognized as French monarch; the new king ascended the throne when the coffin of the previous...

Excavations have shown that the present building occupies roughly the same site as the original cathedral, founded c.400 under the episcopacy of St Nicaise

Nicasius of Rheims

Saint Nicasius of Rheims was a bishop of Rheims from 400 until his death. He founded the first cathedral of Rheims. He prophesied the invasion of France by the Vandals....

.