About this place
Named for its original T shaped plan, the Greek letter Tau, the Palais du Tau was for centuries the residence of the powerful archbishops of Reims and an essential backstage to every royal coronation. A king would lodge here before the ceremony, pray in the palace chapel, process into the cathedral to be crowned, and then return for a lavish banquet in the great hall. The elegant classical palace seen today was largely remodeled around 1700 by the royal architects Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte. Since 1972 it has been a museum displaying original cathedral statuary, grand tapestries and the royal treasury, whose highlights include the ninth century talisman of Charlemagne and the chalice of Saint Remi. Damaged by fire in the First World War and restored, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1991 together with the cathedral.
Key facts
- 1972 year — The palace opened as a museum of the cathedral and the coronations
- 1991 year — Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the cathedral
- 9 century — The treasury's talisman of Charlemagne dates to the ninth century
📍 Rue du Cardinal de Lorraine 2, 51100, Reims