Sillery is a commune in the Marne, in the Grand Est region, about ten kilometers south-east of Reims.
Its territory of 9 km² is crossed by the course of the Vesle which crosses the Aisne à la Marne canal by a canal bridge. Two other major axes of communication are located in the locality: the former RN which constitutes its limit to the north and the eastern motorway.
Although close to the Reims agglomeration, the municipality of Sillery has preserved a pleasant and green living environment, its "southern" part starting the vineyard of the Champagne appellation.
Historically, the village has long depended on the archbishops of Reims. Under the Ancien Régime, the Marquis de Sillery Nicolas Brulart (1544-1624), signed for King Henry the Treaty of Vervins then was Ambassador to Madrid where he negotiated the wedding of the Infanta of Spain, Anne of Austria, with the young king of France Louis XIII… The last elements of his castle were bombed during the First World War.
Nowadays, the town (approximately 1,800 inhabitants) has economic advantages through its river port on the canal, a sugar refinery where beets are refined and a few champagne producers. It has a heritage of interest and a very varied leisure offer to take into account during a stopover in Reims.
Its Saint-Remi church is the jewel of the heritage of Sillery. The current building dates from the end of the 19th century, having succeeded a 12th century church. Damaged during the First War, it was rebuilt identically. However, furniture and decorations in the Art Deco style were added. If the exterior architecture still evokes influences from Viollet-le-Duc (in the sense that the Romanesque and Gothic styles are "revisited"), we linger inside at the door of the communion bench, restored in 2011, Art Deco locksmith masterpiece.
Also worth seeing is the gilded wooden reliquary in the Baroque style (but dating from the 17th century) which houses a relic of Pope Clement I. Note that the fleur-de-lis carved around the edge of the cover panes have been sanded. A "trick" to save the reliquary during the Revolution.
In another register, the national necropolis of Sillery houses more than 11,000 graves of French soldiers killed in the Marne during the First World War. Originally from the former French colonies, they fell in the field of honor on the municipalities of Sillery, Beine-Nauroy, Reims and Verzy. 5711 are buried in individual graves and 5548, which could not be identified, were buried in two ossuaries. This large memorial site also includes a monument dedicated to the 97th Division, a chapel and a "Mausoleum of the Battles of Champagne" erected in memory of the heroes deprived of burial. This mausoleum was built in 1925, and it was part of the achievements presented by the city of Reims at the international exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris. Free entrance.
In terms of "nature" sports and leisure, the municipal park of La Vesle is both a pleasant place to walk and a space dedicated to outdoor cultural activities. For more information, call +33 3 26 49 10 04.
The town also has a "wild garden" for educational and fun purposes including ponds, a pottery oven, nesting boxes, beehives, bird watching posts, but also wooded plots.
For athletes, it is possible to practice canoeing and kayaking on the course of the Vesle or that of the canal. Contact on +33 3 26 49 10 04. In addition, tennis courts are available: reservation at the local club on +33 6 09 86 90 83.
For hikers, paths along the river or the canal as well as the trails from the south of the town, where the Champagne vineyards begin, are certain potentials. It is also possible to reach Reims from Sillery via "cross roads". Maps and information on +33 3 26 77 45 00.
