Una memoria immemore. La cattedrale di Reims a cento anni dalla Grande Guerra
In: Quaderni dell'Istituto di Storia dell'Architettura: n.s. 2019, 2020
DOI: 10.48255/1199
A forgetful memory. The cathedral of Reims a hundred years after the First World War
On the 19th of September 1914, incendiary shells hit the Reims cathedral and triggered a tremendous
fire that destroyed the roof and ravaged various parts of the building. The “martyrdom” of the French
kings’ coronation cathedral – perceived as a long-lasting national symbol – became a powerful instrument
of propaganda against the enemy’s barbarity. During the conflict, the cathedral overshadowed the city
and the destruction of other important buildings or entire urban sectors was almost relegated to the
background. Nonetheless, the disputes about Notre-Dame brought the fate of Reims and its population
under the gaze of the whole world. Opinions and hypotheses of reconstruction of the monument changed
during and after the war, when the myth of the “resurrection” replaced that of the “martyrdom”. The
analysis of these fluctuations may be useful to highlight how the community reacted to the conflict and
to what extent the inflamed debate influenced the reconstruction in the aftermath of WWI. The story of
the cathedral of Reims also offers some important insights into the dialectic between opposite narratives
and helps us to understand the role of propaganda, the response of the inhabitants to the different visions
conveyed by the media and, above all, the changeable value assigned to the material authenticity and its
preservation.