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Origin and history

The Cordeliers de Reims convent is a former Franciscan convent founded in the 13th century in the city of Reims. The minor brothers, popular among the inhabitants, first settled near the castle of Guillaume de Joinville, before being relocated to the city centre by Henri de Braine after the destruction of their first building during a revolt. Their convent hall then serves as a meeting place for the City Council and the congregations of merchants, illustrating their integration into civic life.

In 1450, a fire ravaged the abbey, which was subsequently rebuilt and embellished. The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1791 the 850 books of the library were transferred to the municipal library, and the convent, sold as a national property, became a spinning machine. The church was demolished in 1813, while the rest of the building was used by the Léné settlements in 1914. World War I caused significant damage to the remains, immortalized by artists such as Gaston Laplace (1915) and Marie Perrier (1919).

After the war, the ruins were not rebuilt but built into a public square, including a children's playground. Since 1925, the remains have been protected as historical monuments, preserving the memory of this emblematic place of the religious and civil history of Reims.

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