Nave of the Basilica of Saint-Remi

When I first entered the Basilica of Saint-Remi, I went in from the side entrance. This was because the main entrance wasn’t open. Once I got in, I completely forgot that I went through the side entrance because it looked like I was heading towards the altar at the other end. It was only when I went in a little further that I remembered this was just the arms or the transept of the basilica and that the main body was still up ahead. It was then I came to see how huge the basilica actually was. I have seen quite a few large cathedrals it seems like the Basilica of Saint-Remi is one of the larger ones that I have seen.

The main aisle or nave of the church stretches from the main entrance to the back of the church. The Basilica of Saint-Remi has a typical cruciform layout common in cathedrals. You can see that the nave really is quite long. I would imagine that if there are ceremonies that would require the priest or bridge to walk from the entrance to the altar, that it would take a while get there. The nave is punctuated with the rose window that is typical of Romanesque style churches. I wasn’t sure if the stained glass windows are original since I understand that the church was heavily damaged during the first world war. The high vaulted ceiling of the nave give the impression of size to the already huge basilica. There is also dramatic lighting here which only accents the features of the church even more. One of the highlights of the nave is the 96 candle chandelier which represents the age of Saint-Remi when he died.

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