Rheims and the Battles for its Possession Part 20

In the last years of the reign of Louis XIV., and still more so under the Regency, the use of Champagne at Court gained ground, especially at the tables of the _Duc de Vendome_ and the _Marquis de Sillery_.

At that time Champagne was merely a "creamy" wine, _i.e._ semi-sparkling. The low breaking strain of the gla.s.s of those days would not have allowed of the higher pressure (six atmospheres) of the present-day wine. The discovery of the chemist Francois, who in 1836 at Chalons invented a special "densimeter," made it possible to calculate the amount of carbonic acid gas contained in the must, and to proportion the expansive force of the wine to the strength of the bottles, thus reducing losses by breakage, which for long had been very serious.

From the 19th century onwards, the production of Champagne wine has grown unceasingly. The number of bottles of sparkling Champagne placed on the market for sale in France and abroad rose from 19,145,481 (of which 16,705,719 went abroad) between April, 1875, and April, 1876, to 33,171,395 (of which 23,056,847 went abroad) between April, 1906 and April, 1907. During the first ten months of 1915, the exports of Champagne and sparkling wines were 630,140 wine-quarts, as against 1,092,660 wine quarts in 1914.

FIRST DAY

AFTERNOON

=ST. THIERRY HEIGHTS--LE G.o.dAT--THE GLa.s.s-WORKS OF LOIVRE--BRIMONT--THE "CAVALIERS DE COURCY"=

(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and summary of the military operations, pp. 147 and 154._)

[Ill.u.s.tration (Map)]

_Starting from the Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, follow the morning's Itinerary (p. 122) as far as the railway bridge, then continue straight along the Avenue de Paris (N. 31). Before leaving Rheims the tourist can, if desired, visit_ =Haubette Park=. _In this case, turn to the left, opposite No. 10, Avenue de Paris, into the Rue Flin des Oliviers.

The entrance to_ Haubette Park (an annex of the Calmette Dispensary) _stands at the beginning of this street, on the right_.

Napoleon I. bivouacked in this park while his troops attacked Rheims in 1814. A monument and a small museum commemorate the event. At the end of 1914 Haubette Park was a favourite recreation ground and refuge for the inhabitants of the city during the bombardments.

_Return to the junction of N. 31 (which leads to Fismes) with G. C. 6 (the road to Ville-en-Tardenois). Take N. 31 on the right. About 1 km.

from the fork take the first road on the right._

_On reaching_ =Tinqueux= _turn to the left at the entrance to the village, and follow the main road_.

=Tinqueux--Mont St. Pierre=

The church of Tinqueux (St. Peter's) was entirely destroyed. It contained, on the left side of the nave, a remarkable 16th century painting on wood, representing the _Adoration of the Shepherds_, with a frame of the same period.

_Near the church, between the Vesle and the main street of the village_, stood an old baronial mansion, in front of which was a building with turreted facade known as the =Maison de la Salle=. Inside the buildings which, in later years, served as a farm, there was a curious old wooden staircase with railed bal.u.s.trade. The whole was destroyed by the sh.e.l.ls.

In September, 1914, at the beginning of the bombardment of Rheims, many of the people took refuge at Tinqueux.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MAIN STREET OF TINQUEUX VILLAGE]

_At the end of the main street of the village, opposite a kind of observation-post with ladder in a tree, turn to the right. The road pa.s.ses at the foot of_ =Mont St. Pierre=, whose village and church entirely disappeared in the 17th century. It was to replace the church of Mont St. Pierre that the church of St. Pierre de Tinqueux was built at the end of the 17th century.

_The road turns abruptly and nears the Vesle. Turn to the right and cross the river to reach_ =St. Brice=.

=St. Brice--Champigny--Merfy=

(_Itinerary, p. 134._)

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village and take the first street on the right, which leads to the church._

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RUINED CHURCH OF CHAMPIGNY]

The Church of St. Brice was almost entirely destroyed. In style, it is Romanesque, with Renaissance doorway and aisles. The door of the west front contains interesting carvings--unhappily much mutilated.

_Return by the same way to the cross-roads in front of the bridge over the Vesle, turn to the right, then, about 150 yards further on, to the left. Continue straight ahead, cross the railway (l.c.) and follow the railway on the left._

_About half a mile further on an avenue on the right leads to the_ =Chateau de la Malle=. Both the castle and grounds were badly damaged by the bombardment.

Standing in the park with magnificent avenues of beech-trees, the castle is one of the most ancient manors in the vicinity of Rheims. It was rebuilt in one storey at the beginning of the 14th century on the old foundations. The decoration of the interior (Louis XVI.) is interesting.

The drawing-room has retained its old wainscoting and paintings. A carved shield bearing the arms of the Cauchon family, a member of which, the Bishop of Beauvais, sided with the English and the Duke of Burgundy against the Dauphin of France and Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War, is still to be seen over a door of one of the out-buildings.

_Return by the same road to the Vesle. Cross the river and follow it (as per Itinerary, p. 134), to the village of Champigny._

_Cross straight through the village by the main street, at the end of which stands the church in a narrow by-street near the entrance to a park (photo, p. 136)._

The little church of St. Theodule is 12th century, except the wooden belfry, which was modern. The belfry and roof were destroyed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MERFY CASTLE, CONVERTED BY THE GERMANS INTO A BLOCKHOUSE _General Foch had his Headquarters there in 1914._]

_On leaving the village, go straight ahead. The road (G.C. 75) follows the railway on the left. Cross the railway (l.c.). The road pa.s.ses along the marshy valley of the Vesle, then rises towards the_ St. Thierry Heights.

_At the cross-roads of_ the hamlet of Maco, _keep straight on along G.C.

26_. The road runs between two fairly high embankments containing numerous shelters. Slightly before entering the village of =Merfy= is a cemetery containing graves of French, British and German soldiers.

_At the entrance to the same village, on the right, stands_ a castle, severely damaged, which, early in September, 1914, served as headquarters to General Foch (_photo above_).

_A little farther_ is the church, almost entirely destroyed.

_At the church, turn to the right and follow the main street_, which is lined with houses in ruins.

_On leaving Merfy, cross the railway (l.c.). The village of_ =St.

Thierry= _is reached shortly afterwards._

[Ill.u.s.tration: ENTRANCE TO ST. THIERRY VILLAGE _The sign and camouflaging are German._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. THIERRY CHaTEAU IN 1914]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. THIERRY CHaTEAU IN 1919]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH _See other photos, p. 140._]

=St. Thierry=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134, summary of the Military Operations, p. 147._)

This village was frequently bombarded by the Germans from 1914 to 1918.