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Origin and history

The Tau Palace, located in Reims, was one of the residences of archbishops and kings of France during the sacres. Its name comes from its form in T (tau in Greek) in the Middle Ages. Built from the fifth century, it was enlarged in the 15th and 17th centuries, notably by Guillaume Briçonnet and Robert de Cotte. He also served as a court and trade exchange during the French Revolution.

Gravely damaged during World War I in 1914, the palace was restored from the 1950s. Since 1972, it has been home to the Reims Cathedral and the Kings of France's Sacre Museum, exhibiting carved elements, tapestries, and the cathedral's treasure. Ranked a historic monument in 1907, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

The lower chapel, dating from the 13th century, preserves Gallo-Roman remains and fragments of the 15th century jube. The Tau Hall, the former hall of the royal feast, was redesigned in the 17th and 19th centuries. The treasure exposes objects related to the sacres, such as the reliquary of the Holy Ampoule and the talisman of Charlemagne. The palace thus illustrates the religious and monarchical history of France.

The museum offers a thematic tour: halls dedicated to the sacres (Charles X, Louis XV), monumental statues of the cathedral (Goliath, kings of Judah), and historical tapestries. Temporary exhibitions complete this cultural offer, combining sacred art and royal heritage.

The Palais du Tau also embodies the political transformations of France: from archepiscopal residence to national good during the Revolution, then to museum. Its architecture, marked by Gothic and classical styles, reflects artistic developments and historical upheavals, including the destructions of 1914 and the restorations of the twentieth century.

Future

The Tau Palace was restored from the 1950s and since 1972 houses a museum linked to the cathedral and the sacres of the kings of France.

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