Rheims and the Battles for its Possession Part 21

_It is crossed by a narrow, winding street containing several sharp turnings. Shortly before the end of the village, the street widens abruptly. About a hundred yards further on is the church, while on the right a monumental door gives access_ to the =Chateau of St. Thierry= (_photos, p. 138_).

This castle was built in 1777 by Mgr. de Talleyrand-Perigord, Archbishop of Rheims. It replaced the ancient abbey founded in the 6th century by St. Thierry, a disciple of St. Remi. Remains of the 12th century chapter-house ogives, colonnettes and capitals, as well as an old chimney-piece, have been rebuilt into the kitchens. The s.p.a.cious Louis XVI. drawing-room and the dining-room were likewise remarkable.

The church (_see photos above and on p. 140_) possessed certain remarkable features, _e.g._ the porch, nave and organ-loft. The 12th century porch had a 17th century pent-house roof.

Inside the church were Gothic stalls, and a 16th century bas-relief depicting _The Martyrdom of St. Quentin_.

The church is now in ruins.

_Opposite the castle gate turn to the left into G.C. 26._

In the embankments along the road are numerous shelters, posts of commandment, ammunition depots, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH (_see p. 139_)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINED PORTAL OF ST. THIERRY CHURCH]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF CHOIR, ST. THIERRY CHURCH]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF THIL CHURCH]

=Thil--Villers-Franqueux=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)

_On reaching Thil, turn to the left at the entrance to the village. Go straight through._

The church, entirely in ruins, _stands at the end of the village, on a small eminence to the right_.

_Half-way through the village, on the left, is a road which leads to the St. Thierry Fort, via the village of Pouillon._

The road from Thil to Cormicy was the starting-point of the communicating trenches which led to the first lines along the National Road No. =44= and along the ca.n.a.l from the Aisne to the Marne, during the long stabilisation period of the Berry-au-Bac--Rheims front. All along the road can still be seen, practically intact, the military works which were in the immediate rear of the front lines, viz., posts of commandment, depots, shelters, etc. At the present time, close to the destroyed villages, these shelters are being used by the people as habitations.

_Beyond Thil, the road pa.s.ses between two embankments._ =Villers-Franqueux= _is soon reached_. The ruined village and church _are somewhat to the right_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF VILLERS-FRANQUEUX]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINED CHURCH OF HERMONVILLE]

=Hermonville=

_Follow the rails, straight ahead, to_ Hermonville.

_Turn to the left, at the entrance to the village, into the large square, on the opposite side of which stands the_ =Town Hall=, partially destroyed. The =Church= _is on the right_.

This remarkable church is 12th century. The pointed vaulting of the nave was raised in 1870, but this had been provided for in the original plans. At the intersection of the transept the pointed vaulting is lower. The capitals with their finely carved palm-leaves appear to be rather more recent than those of the nave, and extend frieze-like round the pillars. The bays of the transept-arms and of the two square eastern chapels are round-arched and surmounted with a quatrefoil--an arrangement frequently met with in the vicinity of Rheims.

The outer porch, like that of Cauroy-les-Hermonville and St. Thierry, is a 12th century addition. The depressed arch of the entrance is 17th century.

The square tower at the corner of the nave and south transept has cubic capitals in the twin bays of the second storey.

The ancient =cemetery=, which used to surround the church, is bordered by old houses. Entrance was gained by a little gate facing the porch, in which are incrusted fragments of a 15th century altar-screen representing a horseman and a group of persons.

The village was frequently bombarded by the Germans after the Battle of the Marne. In 1916 several inhabitants were killed by sh.e.l.ls.

_Leave the church on the right, and follow the Rue Sebastopol, at the end of which is an abrupt turning to the left. The road skirts a large house and garden surrounded by a wall. At the end of the latter, turn to the right into the Rue de Sommerville. On leaving the village, turn to the left, then go straight on to_ =Cauroy-les-Hermonville=.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1914]

=Cauroy-les-Hermonville=

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village, then into the first street on the left, where stands the_ half-destroyed =Church of Notre-Dame=.

This Church (_historical monument_) has an original 12th century porch, which was mutilated by the bombardments.

Romanesque in style, it stands out from the remainder of the building and extends over the whole breadth of the west front. Its tile-covered roof rests on a timber-work frame, whose beams appear to be 16th century. Two round-arched openings in the ends of the porch serve as entrances. The front is pierced with a number of round arcades. The central door giving access to the church is of a later date (16th or 17th century). The capitals of the arcadings are 12th century. Their curious decoration represents figures of men, animals, birds, scrolls, etc.

The ruined tower and nave were likewise 12th century. The side-chapels, transept-crossing and choir were rebuilt in the 16th century.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1918]

[Ill.u.s.tration: STREET IN CAUROY VILLAGE (_Seen from the Porch of the Church. To go from Cauroy to Cormicy, take this street opposite the Church._)]

In the interior of the church, the wooden altar-screen over the high-altar dated from 1616. The painting which decorated its central panel, and the side woodwork of the choir were removed in 1888. The altar-screen (1547) of the southern side-chapel was composed of an a.s.semblage of stone statues representing _The Virgin carrying Jesus, St.

Roch, a pilgrim_, and _St. Stephen, a deacon, with the donor kneeling at his feet_.

Under several of the houses in the village are subterranean pa.s.sages, the most noteworthy being that under the old presbytery on the left of the church, to which access is gained by a stair of fifty-one steps.

_Leave the village of Cauroy by the street (photo, p. 145) which opens up opposite the church._

_The road pa.s.ses through clumps of_ devastated trees. _On the left side of the road is_ a cemetery, containing numerous well-organised shelters.

_The village of_ =Cormicy= _is next reached._

=Cormicy=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village. On either side are_ tree-lined boulevards, which were made on the ancient ramparts. The trees have been cut to pieces by the sh.e.l.ls.

Cormicy was formerly a small fortified town with turret, gates, ramparts and moats, all of which have disappeared except one gate. The site was planted with trees, which surround practically the whole town. The town was destroyed in the time of Charles VI., during the Hundred Years' War.

The present village suffered severely during the German bombardments, most of the houses being damaged. In June, 1916, only eighty-three inhabitants remained in their homes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CORMICY CHURCH IN 1914]