Straight ahead, you’ll spot a grand stone church with a dazzling rose window and a dramatic, pointed tower stretching up-look for its tall central spire reaching high above all the rooftops!
Welcome to the Church of Notre-Dame d’Épernay! Imagine standing here in the early 1900s, as the sound of hammers echoes through the air, craftsmen building these thick stone walls and elegant arches. But then, during World War I, German bombs came raining down, and this church nearly got a new set of holes more complicated than the rose windows! It took years of hard work and hope to repair the damage, and by 1925, it stood tall again-just like the resilient people of Épernay.
Step close and you’ll notice the church is shaped like a Latin cross, with a tower at the crossing topped by a polygonal spire. That spire? It soars 77 meters into the sky-so high, I bet even the birds need directions to find their nests up there! Inside, sunlight glows through magical stained glass from the 16th century, painting colored patterns on ancient stone. The air sometimes rings with music from a historic organ, crafted by Cavaillé-Coll and Mutin, once gifted by Paul Chandon de Briailles, a man who probably wished every church could sound as grand as his champagne tasted.
And for a final mysterious twist: in the church lies the tombstone of Marshal Pierre Strozzi, a lord of Épernay-his secrets gently resting beneath your feet as you stand in the shadow of this noble, resilient landmark.
