Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Champagne Park, originally named Pommery Park, was designed in the early 20th century by Marquis Melchior de Polignac to provide a place of relaxation and sport for employees of the Pommery cellars in Reims. The work, entrusted to landscape architect Edward Redont, began in 1909, combining a landscaped style with English and sports facilities. The park was inaugurated in 1913 by President Raymond Poincaré, becoming a pioneer place for physical education in France, with the creation of the Collège d'Athletes, cradle of hebertism.

During World War I, the park suffered extensive damage and was rebuilt after 1918 by Edward Redont and Ernest Kalas. It also became a place of memory, welcoming the monument to the heroes of the Black Army, erected as a tribute to the African colonial troops of the Great War. This monument replaces the one destroyed by the Germans in 1940 during World War II. There is also a memorial to the deaths of sports clubs during the First World War.

Today, the Champagne Park is a multifunctional space, hosting sporting events such as the International Jumping in Reims, concerts within the framework of the Musical Flâneries, as well as family and cultural activities. It remains free and open to the public, while maintaining its role as a place of memory and wooded relaxation. The park, classified as a historic monument in 2004, bears witness to Reims' industrial, sporting and memorial heritage.

Its history is marked by figures such as the Marquis de Polignac, which made it a place of sporting excellence, attracting renowned athletes such as Jean Bouin. The park also hosted the North American delegation back from the 1912 Olympic Games, highlighting its international influence from the very beginning. The swimming pool and covered gym, installed before 1914, illustrate its initial ambition to train high-performance athletes.

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