\b0 Capital of the Gallic tribe of the \i Remi\i0 , Reims became an important Roman city and then a bish
op's seat in the fourth century. Its prestige grew considerably when the tradition of crowning the Kings of France in its cathedral became established. Begun in 1211, the construction of this cathedral of Notre-Dame took over a century. The western faτad
e, surmounted by two admirable bell towers, is divided into three portals, with the one in the middle dedicated to the Virgin and the one on the right to Christ and the prophets, while the one on the left honors the saints and is adorned with the celebra
ted guardian angel of St Nicasius known as the \i Smile of Reims\i0 . Inside the immense nave, 139 meters (456 feet) long and 38 meters (125 feet) high, the inside of the faτade is adorned with 120 niches housing statues. Badly damaged during the First W
orld War, when it was hit by almost 300 shells, the cathedral was restored and consecrated for worship again in 1938, after twenty years of work.\par
