Rheims and the Battles for its Possession

by Pneu Michelin

Built by the Cardinal Archbishop Guillaume Briçonnet between 1497 and 1507, it comprised two stories.

THE SALLE DU TAU IN 1918
Behind the ruined Hall are seen the Southern Transept and Chevet of the Cathedral.

ENTRANCE TO THE SALLE DU TAU (OR KINGS' HALL). (see plan, p. [33])

The upper hall, in which the royal banquet was served at the consecrations, became the Stock Exchange at the beginning of the 19th century. It was disfigured by poor paintings and false Gothic ornamentation at the time of the consecration of Charles X.

The walls were hung with four admirable tapestries by Pepersack and several others given by Robert de Lenoncourt.

The vast chimney-piece with the Briçonnet and Church of Rheims Arms is all that the fire of 1914 spared of the ancient decoration. It is visible in the photographs on page [64], at the bottom of the hall.

The lower hall, with its Gothic arching, was as large as the upper one. The capitals of the prismatic pillars and the key-stones of the arches were adorned with escutcheons, fleur-de-lys, flowers and crockets.