UMC - Grandes Marques et Maisons de Champagne

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Heritage

The Champagne region holds particular significance for French history. It was originally part of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica, which in the 5th Century became the seat of the Merovingian dynasty that ousted the Romans. At its head was the Frankish King Clovis, whose baptism in Rheims established the precedent for royal anointing in Rheims cathedral that ended with the last King of France, Charles X. In medieval times, Champagne was the venue of great annual trading fairs. In World War I it was the bloody battlefield of the Western Front, later coming to symbolise the reconciliation between France and Germany.
For 300 years the Champagne Houses have been adding to this exceptional heritage through the commissioning of architectural masterpieces that sing the praises of the King of Wines.

All heritage assets

Moulin de Verzenay

1818

Owned by G.H. Mumm and classified as a historic monument, the Moulin de Verzenay was built on the Mont-Bœuf in 1818 by the Tinot-Vincent couple, and was designed for the simultaneous milling of two types of grain.


The cellars and wine vaults of Mumm

1898

In 1898, the House of Mumm built cellars and offices close by the town hall, with two aims in mind: art and function. The building was the brainchild of architect Ernest Kalas and artist Auguste Guilbert-Martin and served as the headquarters of the Union des Maisons de Champagne from 1907 to 1914.


Phare de Verzenay (Verzenay lighthouse)

1909

The Phare de Verzenay was the brainchild of Joseph GOULET, (son of Modeste GOULET, founder of the Goulet-Turpin branch of the family).


The Chapel of Notre-Dame de la Paix

1965

The Chapel of Notre-Dame de la Paix was entirely decorated by the Japanese artist Léonard Foujita (1886-1968) and gifted to the town of Rheims by René Lalou, president and director general of G.H. Mumm.