This building, which was destroyed by shell-fire on May 13, 1917, was similar in many respects to the old Hôtel-de-Ville in Paris, burnt in 1871. Commenced in 1627, from plans by the Rheims architect, Jean Bonhomme, it was completed in stages, at long intervals. Only the central _pavilion_ and the left-hand portion were 17th century. The building was a beautiful specimen of the architecture of the Louis XIII. period. Seventy-eight columns, Doric on the ground-floor and Corinthian on the first storey, framed the windows of the façade, whose bases on the first floor carried trophies in bas-relief and a graceful frieze. The niches in the central portico were empty, but the pediment on twisted columns enclosed an equestrian statue of Louis XIII. In the interior, in the great vestibule, a staircase with a remarkable wrought-iron balustrade led to the City Library, which was destroyed by the fire of 1917 (_photo, p. 73_). On the right, the room where the Municipal Council meetings were held, contained rich panelling alternated with paintings by Lamatte, commemorating episodes in the history of Rheims. On the left, the mayor's office contained magnificent Louis XVI. woodwork. On the other side of the courtyard, in the centre of which is a statue of "La Vigne," by St. Marceaux, was the great marriage-hall, containing a Gallo-Roman mosaic, framed with rosettes and an interlaced border, representing a gladiatorial fight. A number of the pictures and works of art in the Hôtel-de-Ville were saved by the firemen and soldiers. The mosaic in the marriage-hall was protected by sand-bags and is intact. _In the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, between the Rue Thiers and the Banque de France, are two small streets: the Rue Salin and the Rue de Pouilly._ [Illustration: THE GRAND STAIRCASE OF THE TOWN HALL] At No. 5 of the Rue Salin, the old 17th century _Hôtel Coquebert_, which was destroyed by the shells, used to be the headquarters of the _Society of Friends of Old Rheims_. Several of the illustrations in this Guide are taken from the collections of this Society. In the Rue de Pouilly, close to the Hôtel-de-Ville, are the =ruins= of the _Galeries Rémoises_ stores. These shops were partly housed in a Gothic building, of which only a few chimney-stacks remain (_see chimney in photo below_). _Opposite the Hôtel-de-Ville take the Rue Colbert to the Place des Marchés._ [Illustration: THE RUE COLBERT, BETWEEN THE TOWN HALL AND THE MARKET-PLACE] [Illustration: RUINS IN THE MARKET-PLACE _Seen from the Rue de Tambour. The "Maison de l'Enfant d'Or" is among the ruined houses seen in the middle (see pp. 75 to 77). The "Hôtel de la Salle" and "Maison Fossier" (p. 76), on the right-hand side of the Square, are not visible in the above photograph._] =The Place des Marchés=