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Rouen-the Town of 100 Bell Towers

Victor Hugo described Rouen as “the town of a hundred bell towers” but this beautiful city which dates back to Roman times suffered during World War II and today only about a third of these bell towers remain. Located on the eastern edge of Normandy on the Seine River, Rouen serves as the port for Paris. It is the leading European port for the export of agricultural goods.

Rouen

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Steeped in the history of Joan of Arc, there are many museums as well as numerous squares for enjoying people watching while you have a drink or a meal before exploring the beautiful churches and buildings.  We fell in love with the clock tower as soon as we saw it but the beautiful churches to which Hugo refers dominate the landscape.

Churches

Rouen has been an important ecclesiastical center since the third century. It is, therefore, rich in ecclesiastical architecture.

Church of Saint Joan of Arc 

A short walk down rue du Gros-Horlage from the Clock Tower you will find The Church of Saint Joan of Arc (Église Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc) which was built on the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

The Church of Saint Joan of Arc is a testament to Rouen’s rebuilding after the war.  Église Saint-Vincent suffered destruction by Allied bombs on May 31, 1944 . However, the stained glass windows had been removed prior to that. Église Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc was  built 320 meters to the northwest of  Église Saint-Vincent and the stained glass windows from Saint-Vincent were used in its construction.

 

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Church of Joan of Arc

 

Church of Joan of Arc

Church of Joan of Arc

 Notre Dame Cathedral

What drew us to Rouen as a vacation destination was its Notre Dame Cathedral which dates from 1000a.d. The Cathedral is easy to spot as you wander around Rouen because of its 500 foot tall spire of cast iron. You will find the Cathedral on the opposite end of rue du Gros-Horlage  from the Church of Saint Joan of Arc.  The earliest cathedral built on this site was in 393 a.d.

Despite major destruction during World War II, Notre Dame has an amazing collection of medieval stained glass that was saved from destruction during the war by being removed and stored elsewhere. The nave and chancel of the Cathedral are as breath-taking as the stained glass. If you begin your travels in Paris, take time to visit the Musee d’Orsay to view Monet’s famous painting of the Cathedral.

Church of St-Ouen

Because of its size it is easy to confuse the next church with the Cathedral. We found ourselves drawn to return to the garden behind the Church of St-Ouen  repeatedly. It is centrally located making it a wonderful spot to rest before continuing your sight-seeing or to have a picnic lunch.

Church of St-Oeun

Church of St-Oeun

 

Basilica of St-Ouen

Basilica of St-Ouen

The Basilica Church of Saint-Peter was renamed in the 10th century after Bishop Saint-Ouen (Basilica Church of St-Ouen) who was buried there in 684 a.d. The north arm of the Gothic transept contains the structural remains of the 10th century Romanesque chapel. It is known as the “Monk’s Tower”.

Between its architectural construction which allows for an immense amount of light and the 88 stained glass windows, you will find this Rouen Basilica as beautiful as Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral. The google/maps capture below presents a better understanding of not only the size of the Basilica but also of the difference in its towers.

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Saint-Maclou

Saint-Maclou is an architecturally unusual church.  It has only one spire and is squeezed in between buildings making it difficult to photo. One of the anomalies is the fact that it has three storeys and one is a blind triforium. That is to say it is a gallery of arches without windows. The decorative stonework in Saint Maclou has an ethereal appearance.  After the original church collapsed, work began on this church in 1436 and finished in 1521.

Saint-Romain Church

saint-romainClose to the Gare (train station) you will find Saint-Romain Church on rue Rouchefoucauld.The church was originally a Carmelite Convent in the 1600s. The church houses stained glass from the 16th and 17th centuries from abandoned churches and chapels.

 

Historical Buildings

The Clock Tower (Gros-Horlage) , built in 1529 , miraculously escaped the carnage of World War II. It sets in an archway that spans the street and is a beautiful piece of artwork. Beneath the dial is a window that displays triumphal chariots that pass by as the day progresses and different gods can be seen on different days of the week. In addition, the signs of the zodiac and various trades are displayed. Be sure to take the free self-guided tour of the Clock Tower when you are in Rouen.

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Details on the Gros-Horloge in Rouen

 

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Arch Details under the Gros-Horloge

 

Gros Horloge

Gros-Horloge

The building of the Law Courts is a mix of Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance architecture. It is another building that is beautiful to behold. The façade of the Great Parliament Chamber overlooks the courtyard and consists of 8 spans separated by piers and a central tower. Spanning 66 meters in length (216.5 feet) it has amazing detail and a wonderful collection of gargoyles.

 

Palais Justice (Law Courts)

Palais Justice (Law Courts)

 

Gargoyles on the Law Courts

Gargoyles on the Law Courts

Bourgtheroulde

Bourgtheroulde Mansion

 

The Bourgtheroulde Mansion, located on Place de la Pucelle, is representative of the Renaissance period of architecture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Place Rouge Mare is a plaque commemorating the bloody battle led by Richard Sans Peur. This battle by Richard without Fear took place in 943. The red brick  building is easy to spot ! But you must look up not to miss the wonderful carvings on the building.

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Place Rouge Mare

Museums

  •    One  building/museum you will want to see while in Rouen is the Joan of Arc Tower on rue Bouvreuil. It is the only remains of the town walls. The tower dates from the Normandy conquest in 1204 during the reign of Phillipe Auguste. This tower is 15 meters in diameter and is now a museum.  Here you will find a facsimile of the document held in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris of the condemnation of Joan of Arc.

    Joan of Arc Musum

    Joan of Arc Musum

  • Musée Flaubert d’Histoire de la Médecine which is located in the house where Flaubert was born is found at 51 rue de Lecat.
  • Beaux Arts  Museum which is located on the Esplanade Marcel-Duchamp
  • Musée le Secq des Tournelles located at 2 rue Jaques Villon is a fascinating museum of weights and measures.
  • Musée de la Céramique located at 1 rue Faucon has a beautiful collection of faïence pottery from the 17th and 18th centuries.
  • Antiquités  Museum located at 198 Beauvoisine where you can immerse yourself in the past – this is my favorite museum.
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Fountain of Saint Marie

Fountains

As with many French cities, fountains constructed in the first and second centuries by the Romans provided drinking water.

By the mid 18th century as many as 60 public fountains in Rouen fed by five different sources to provided fresh water. These fountains were often located in public square or near a church.  Below we have a few of the remaining fountains which you can see when you visit Rouen.

The Fountain of Saint Marie, is located on top of a reservoir that still supplies the city with drinking water. The limestone carving by Joseph Falguière which sits on top of the reservoir dates back to 1879. You will find this enormous fountain where rue Louis Ricard merges with rue Saint-Marie.

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The Fountain of the Gros-Horlage, rue du Gros-Horlage,  was originally called the Fountaine Massacre. The current fountain dates from 1733. This fountain depicts the love between the river god Alpheus and the nymph Arethusa.

 

The Crosse Fountain is located at rue des Carmelites in proximity of Saint-Romain Church. Destroyed in 1944 it was rebuilt to look the same as the original fountain which dated to 1861.

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Crosse Fountain, rue des Carmelites

 

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Base of Crosse Fountain


 

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2 responses to “Rouen-the Town of 100 Bell Towers”

  1. DanC says:

    Église Saint-Vincent was destroyed by Allied bombs on May 31, 1944 but the stained glass windows had been removed prior to that.

    Église Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc was NOT built on the old site of Saint-Vincent, rather, it was built 320 meters to the northwest and the stained glass windows from Saint-Vincent were used in its construction.

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