A little history of Saint-Remi basilica in Reims
And also
The tops
The building was named after Rémi, buried in the former church in 533. Benedictine monks founded here an abbey dedicated to saint Rémi in the 7th century.
The current building dates back to 1007. But the building site was considered as too ambitious and expensive... so it stopped and abbot Thierry razed the primitive church and erected walls and a choir.
Abbot Hérimar completed the whole thing with the roof and the transept.
In 1049, pope Leon IX dedicated the brand new basilica. But it wasn't finished! Far from it, because the building site went on in the 12th century with abbot Pierre de Celles. He added Gothic elements as façade and choir.
Converted as a barn during the Revolution, World War I damaged it a lot. The basilica was restored in the 20th century.
Hey! Don't forget, here, first kings of France were buried and the Holy Phial (which contained an oil, used during Clovis' baptism) is preserved here!