Palace of Tau in Reims
Palace of Tau in Reims
As part of an ambitious sponsorship program entitled Dassault Histoire & Patrimoine (Dassault History & Heritage), dedicated to restoring and showcasing monuments which are part of the heritage and history of France, the Dassault Group is contributing to the renovation of the Palace of Tau and the redesign of its visitor path.
In the first year of its commitment to this project, Dassault Histoire & Patrimoine has chosen to support several projects of the Centre des monuments nationaux (Center for National Monuments) (CMN), including the renovation of the Palace of Tau’s interior and the redesign of its visitor path. The support of Dassault Histoire & Patrimoine will include the restoration of major works of art, interiors and the implementation of interactive tools, including immersive digital devices to "attend" the coronation ceremony and feast that accompanied it.
The CMN is undertaking the restoration and modernization of the Palace of Tau
The Palace of Tau, built in the heart of the ancient city of Reims, owes its name to two buildings whose orientation, until the 17th century, evoked the shape of the letter T, tau in ancient Greek. The history of this place, a former archiepiscopal and royal residence, is closely linked to that of France. In memory of the baptism of Clovis by Saint Rémi, bishop of Reims, ca. 496, the ceremonies for the coronation of the kings of France took place there from the year 816, with Louis the Pious, until that of Charles X in 1825.
The palace became the property of the French nation in 1905, then was heavily damaged by bombings during World War I. Since its reopening in 1972, the palace has been the museum of the cathedral and the coronations of the kings of France. The visitor path is being redesigned to give it greater coherence and clarity and to convey the theme of the royal coronations.
For this occasion, the CMN is launching a major campaign to restore the building and certain collections, to renew the interiors and to redesign the museography and scenography of the visitor path.
The new scenography and the redesign of the visitor path
The installation of the new scenography and collections will begin in the first half of 2024, after the restoration of the monument (begun in 2022), with the reopening to the public planned for June 2024.
The new permanent tour will highlight the coronations of the kings of France in chrono-thematic logic, based on the collections in the Palace of Tau.
The coronation exhibition will serve as an invitation to broaden and deepen visitors’ knowledge. To do this, the tour is designed as a show in which the public will be invited to participate in a coronation ceremony and to explore its decor and history.
