Rouen

Rouen is the historical capital of Normandy, once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe. It was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. Originally founded by the Gauls who called it Ratumacos, it was conquered by the Romans who called it Rotomagnus, which in time became Rouen. In the 9th century, it was overrun b. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties which ruled both England and large tracts of France from the 11th to the 15th century. In 1204, Philippe August entered Rouen and definitively annexed Normandy to the French Kingdom. In the 12th century, Rouen was the site of a yeshiva; at that time, about 6,000 Jews lived in the town, comprising about 20% of the population. Well-preserved remains of the yeshiva have been found under the Law Courts and are being restored. Today, the Rue aux Juifs, leads past the 15th century Gothic Palais de Justice, once Normandy’s parliament from the Cathedral to the Vieux Marche.

During the Hundred Years’ War, on January 19, 1419, Rouen surrendered to Henry V of England, who, once again, made Normandy part of England. Joan of Arc, the charismatic Maid of Orleans, who had led the French troops, was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English, who put her on trial as a witch and heretic. One of the main reasons she was deemed to be a witch was that she refused to wear women’s clothes! She was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 in the main market place, place du Vieux Marché. A stone marker commemorates the place. In addition, a large modern structure whose architecture is loosely based on Norman and Icelandic houses dominates the square – it is the Eglise Jeanne d’Arc. It contains some beautiful stained glass windows, from local churches, which had been removed and hidden, probably in Dordogne caves during the war. Since the churches were destroyed, they were put to good use here.

The French recaptured the town in 1449 and the Dauphin, Charles VII, for whom Jeanne d’Arc had fought so valiantly, was crowned in Rheims.

The city was heavily damaged during World War II and on D-Day its famed cathedral was almost destroyed by Allied bombs.

Rouen is a major port for grain and was known for its wool trade. It remains an important and flourishing cultured maritime city. The old areas around the Eglise Saint Maclou (or Saint Malo), an example of flamboyant gothic architecture, are replete with half-timbered houses dating from the 15th century. They comprise an array of all sizes and heights and are still occupied. They are absolutely charming. Rouen is also known for its faience, or soft-paste porcelain, which was the first porcelain in France, at the end of the 17th century.

After walking through the old areas, we continued to the Cathedral Notre-Dame, well-known from Monet’s 32 paintings in all seasons and light conditions. He took up residence in a house across the street. When you see what his perspective was, you understand why he could not paint the entire height of the cathedral. The square in front of the cathedral is too small….impossible to get a photo or paint a picture of the entire building. The cathedral is gothic and dates from the 11th century. It houses the tomb of Richard Coeur de Lion which contains his heart. The cathedral is framed by two unequal towers and an enormous Neo-Gothic spire, made from cast iron and erected in 1876, rises above the central lantern. The northern and southern 14th century Portails have been restored and contain beautiful sculptures and tracery. After the Wars of Religion, Protestants destroyed made of the niche statues, which have deliberately not been replaced – a piece of history is retained..

From the cathedral, we walked down Rue du Gros Horloge, dominated by just that, a Gros Horloge – beautiful astronomical clock dating to the 16th century, though the movement probably dates from 1389.

Our tour ended in the Place du Vieux Marché, where Connie and I settled into a lovely restaurant with a huge array of fresh seafood. We had local, Blancville, oysters – small and salty – and I had fish (can’t remember which one, but it was good) and then apple crepes with caramel sauce for dessert.

We then went back to a faience store we had seen along the way and we bought some souvenirs, which we are having shipped because they are fragile.

A beautiful city which I would gladly revisit.