Rouen Old Town

The tower (formerly known as “Grosse Tour”) is the only part that remains of the Castle of Rouen built by Philippe Auguste. The entire fortress, except for the keep, was dismantled by the order of King Henry IV in 1591. Contrary to what its name suggests, Joan of Arc was not kept imprisoned there but in the Tour de la Pucelle, demolished in 1809 but whose foundations can still be seen at 102 Rue Jeanne d’Arc.

Joan of Arc was brought inside the castle when she was taken prisoner on the 24th May 1430 and brought to face trial. According to the legend, the maiden was brought inside the tower to be shown the instruments of torture, to which she declared:

“Truly, if you have to pull my members and my soul from my body, I shall say nothing else; and if I say something to you, I would always say to you afterwards that you made me say it by force”.

Its tall sharp-pointed roof was added at the time of the restoration undertaken in the 1870s. During the Second World War, the tower was turned into a bunker by the Germans.

ROUEN, the Old Town: a guided tour

The historic city centre is a "must-see". It would be a shame to pass through without a stroll through its fascinating heritage: gothic churches and mansions, restored half-timbered houses, well-maintained public gardens... the “city of 100 bell towers” from the words of Victor Hugo has underwent a costly upmarket restoration of its historical centre, largely pedestrianised.

The town comprises about 2,000 half-timbered houses, of which half have been restored. The State has listed 227 houses as historical monuments. This makes Rouen one of the first six cities in France in terms of historic architectural richness, despite the destruction during the Second World War when a quarter of the houses in the town’s centre were burnt down. Let us convince you to stop at Rouen and follow us through this guided tour in the historic centre of the capital of Normandy!

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The name of the square led many to erroneously believe this was the place where Joan of Arc had been burnt at the stake. This explains why a fountain (now gone) was standing there in her honour. Close to the square stands the 16th century church of Saint Eloi which was changed into a Protestant place of worship for the Reformed church in 1803.

The major attraction on the square is no doubt the fine Gothic mansion Bourgtheroulde (pronounce Bourtroud’), built to serve as a residence to Guillaume II le Roux, Lord Bourgetheroude and member of the Exchequer of Normandy. The 16th century mansion was built in order to reflect the Lord’s respectable rank. Although dominantly Gothic, there are some Renaissance influences visible from the courtyard.

Place de la Pucelle and Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde

Sometimes called by locals “Rue du Gros”, this 420 metre long street is famously known for the astronomical clock (the “Gros Horloge”). The pride of the Rouennais, it laid on a Renaissance arch which has spanned the historic street since 1527. The clock lies roughly equidistant between the Place du Vieux Marché and the cathedral. The Gros Horloge itself dates back to the 16th century and its movement from 1389.

The Gros Horloge is flanked by a gothic belfry built between the 14th and the 15th centuries, which houses the bells linked to the clock’s movement. The Gros Horloge has been listed as a historic monument since 1862.

The two facades of the clock display 24 rays of sun against a blue starred sky. The dial’s diameter is 2.50 metres. A single hand ending with a depiction of a lamb shows the hour. The moon phases are indicated in the oculus above the clock face, in a sphere of 30 centimetres in diameter. It completes a full rotation in 29 days. There is also a hand showing the week, inside an opening at the base of the dial. It is decorated by allegoric characters: Diane as the moon (Monday), Mars (Tuesday), Mercury (Wednesday), Jupiter (Thursday), Venus (Friday), Saturn (Saturday) and Apollo (Sunday). Don’t be misled about the engineering though - the mechanism of the clock has been powered by electricity since the 1920s, despite the fact that the movement was still working efficiently.

The whole building was restored from 1997 to 2006 and the lighting of the clock at night makes it worth a visit. In the museum you can see the workshop of the clockmaker, the bells, the weights, the machinery and the dome of the bell tower. The various exhibition rooms are related to the building and the history of Rouen. Climb to the upper terrace to enjoy a fine panoramic view of the city’s roofs and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in the distance.

Rouen Cathedral Notre-Dame www.cathedrale-rouen.net/accueil.php

The sober inside of the church is surprising compared to the extravagance of the Flamboyant style outside. This is due to the inside being designed to receive the maximum of light. The nave is comprised of the classic three-storey elevation of an arcade, triforium, and clerestory. Take a time to admire the Flamboyant Gothic staircase towards the choir, the fine Renaissance organ case, the arch of glory, the confessionals from the 18th century, and the 15th century stained-glass windows. The particularity of Saint Maclou is the absence of a transept, such as is found in the contemporary church Notre-Dame in Caudebec-en-Caux.

The sacristy to the east is a neo-Renaissance pastiche whose marble columns are authentic and originate from Italy.

The church was damaged by bombs during the Second World War. The few original stained-glass windows that escaped destruction are often mixed with more modern elements. And like the cathedral, the church suffers from the degradations of humidity, frost and pollution.

Inside the Abbey

The classical building which stands close to the Abbey is Rouen’s present day Town Hall. It used to be the monk’s dormitory until the French Revolution. The monks had only just completed the building when they were forced to abandon it to the municipality.

Sometimes, the Town Hall lobby is open and from there you can access the great staircase and have a peek at the statues of Joan of Arc and Pierre Corneille.

The renowned museum was established by Napoleon I but the present building dates back to the end of the 19th century and was entirely restored in 1994. It is surrounded by a peaceful garden, the Square Verdrel.

The edifice houses an extensive and varied collection of painting, sculpture, drawing and decorative art collections in 63 rooms dedicated to permanent exhibitions. Regular temporary exhibitions are often held and may be at an extra charge.

The pride of the museum is its painting collection as every European schools is represented, from the 15th to the 21st centuries, including artists such as Perugino, Rubens, Nicolas Poussin, Eustache Le Sueur, Fragonard, Géricault, Delacroix, Corot, Sisley, Renoir, Pissaro, Degas, Monet and Modigliani. As for the impressionism collection, outside Paris, it is one of the richest in France.

Make sure you find the paintings depicting a view of Rouen: La Cathédrale de Rouen (Monet, 1894), Vue Générale de Rouen (Monet, 1892), and Vue des bords de la Seine à Rouen (William Callow, 1855).

Some unexpected works of art can be found, such as Russian icons from the 16th century.

To make the most of your visit, take a free map at the welcome desk which will help your orientation throughout the various sections. If you wish to follow a chronological visit, start from the south wing, to the right of the welcome desk.

In 2010, an exceptional temporary exhibition will be themed on Monet, Pissaro and Gauguin in Rouen, “Une ville pour l'impressionnisme : Monet, Pissarro et Gauguin à Rouen”. The exhibition will be opened from the 4th June to the 26th September 2010, from Monday to Wednesday 9am-7pm and on Thursday and Saturday 9am-10pm. The exhibition will explain the role of the city of Rouen in the development of impressionism from 1872 onwards.

PHOTO ALBUM of Normandy

From there, retrace your steps to Place du Vieux Marché and turn right on Rue du Gros Horloge towards the Cathedral.

The picturesque cobbled street is bordered with charming half-timbered buildings built on waterproof stone bases, some of them with richly decorated corbellings made of oak. This construction method developed during the 14th century when the previous use of long pieces of timber was considered unaesthetic and unsuitable to the new architectural style. By saving space on the ground while gaining room in the houses by corbelling over the street, their owners minimised taxation, which was calculated on the footprint of the site. Moreover, it protected the facade’s timber from the rain. Some experts date a few of the houses along the Rue du Gros Horloge to before the time of Joan of Arc’s death at the stake in 1431. Corbelled houses ceased to be built after the 16th century for safety reasons, in order to protect the city from disastrous fires, which could spread quickly among corbelled houses standing so close to each other.

The Rue du Gros Horloge was painted by Camille Pissarro in 1885 and became the first pedestrian street in France in 1971. Apart from its historic atmosphere, it owes its popularity to the numerous shops and department stores.

Rouen’s most distinctive monument, seen from far away, is its lofty and imposing cathedral, whose spire stands 151 metres high. From the Place de la Cathédrale, the church appears in all its glory, with its Tour de Beurre (butter tower) to the right and the Tour Saint Romain to the left.

Click here to read our French Moments page dedicated to Rouen Cathedral.

The small Gothic building of the House of Exchequer houses the Tourist Office of Rouen and faces the cathedral’s Tour de Beurre. The architect Roulland le Roux was commissioned in 1509 by Thomas Boyer, Exchequer General of Normandy. Le Roux also worked on the Cathedral’s main porch, a fine example of Flamboyant Gothic style. It took le Roux 30 years to complete the house.

It is interesting to note a certain Renaissance influence in the horizontal and vertical line design and in the singular arabesque and grotesque decoration, proving that the new architectural style was emerging in Rouen. The House of Exchequer is Rouen’s oldest Renaissance building.

Since 1957 it has housed the Tourist Information Centre in this perfect location opposite the cathedral.

As in most European cities, many of the townsfolk died during the plague. The cemetery around Saint Maclou became too small to house all the dead and a new cemetery needed to be built. Hence, victims of the plague were buried on this site in large communal graves.

Three of the half-timbered galleries that surround the cemetery date back to the 16th century and they served as an ossuary during a later plague. The decorations reflect their original purpose: skulls, crossbones, gravediggers’ tools and objects... Take a closer look on the columns and you will observe Death leading Life in a “danse macabre”.

A cat skeleton found in one of the ossuary walls is displayed in a glass case near the entrance. It is believed that it was a black cat – the incarnation of the Devil – which was plastered (maybe alive!) into the walls as an act of superstition to repel evil spirits.

Saint Ouen would have been an impressive cathedral anywhere else in France but, here in Rouen, it is over-shadowed by the cathedral of Notre-Dame. However, it is famous in its own right as one of the largest of the rare large churches to be built in the Rayonnant Gothic style.

The scale of the Abbey is impressive: the church is 134 metres in length: two spire-towers soar above the western façade; and a majestic 82 metre central tower above the crossing of the transept follows the Normand tradition of having a lantern tower in this position. At a height of 88 metres, it has been nicknamed the “Crown of Normandy”.

The western facade of the church with the two-spire towers is, in fact, a recent neo-Gothic addition to the 14th century building. This part of the Abbey was erected between 1846 and 1851 by the architect Henry Grégoire who based its works on the cathedral of Cologne.

Walk around the choir and the chevet with their 11 chapels and you will observe the superb set of flying buttresses.

Saint Ouen Abbey

Once inside, the proportions of the nave are impressive. The height under the vaults is 33 metres, which is higher than that of the nave of Rouen’s cathedral. The perception of grandeur is heightened by the vertical lines of the pillars, the absence of chapels in the nave, and the light in which the entire nave is bathed. The well-preserved stained-glass windows date back to the 14th century in the choir, the 15th century in the transept and the 16th century in the nave.

Another appreciated feature inside the Abbey is the organ, built in 1890 by Cavaillé-Coll and housed in an oak case from 1630. The renowned organ is said to be one the finest in France along with that in Saint Sulpice church in Paris.

The Abbey was desecrated during the French Revolution and later used as the Town Hall of Rouen. Even though it has been handed back to the Church, it does not serve as a worship centre. Exhibitions and concerts are regularly organised here.

The Palais de Justice is housed in the Gothic building which once use to be the seat of the Parliament of Normandy. The word “parliament” may be misleading as there were no MEPs debating there; instead it was the High Court of Normandy.

Only the west wing on the left of the facade is truly Gothic. This oldest part of the building, erected from 1499 is called New Market Hall (Palais du Neuf Marché). Take a closer look at the formidable Gothic decoration: crocheted pinnacles, gargoyles, four centred arches, statues and a Flamboyant balustrade with interlaced rosettes at the base of the roof. The staircase does not date back to the same era; it was added at the beginning of the 20th century and was built in a neo-Gothic Champenois style. It leads to the majestic Salle des Procureurs, or Public Prosecutors' Chamber, where lawyers would gather. The splendid panelled ceiling is 16.5 metres wide.

The Parliament of Normandy

Fine Arts Museum of Rouen www.rouen-musees.com

Tour Jeanne d’Arc

The design of the western towerless facade is striking. Its five gabled porches are arranged in a semi-circle under a rose window and a pyramid-like succession of triangular lines.

The tympanum of the main porch depicts the Last Judgement and the 16th century doors represent the Baptism of Jesus (main porch), the Good Shepherd (right porch) and the Virgin Mary (left porch).

Take a look at the church from the surrounding streets and notice the lantern tower surmounted by a 19th century spire. The presence of a lantern tower is in accordance with the Normand tradition of having a lantern tower at the crossing between the nave and the choir.

Visite guidée de la Vieille-Ville de Rouen

Rue du Gros Horloge

Our visit starts from the Place du Vieux Marché. Before walking through Rue du Gros Horloge, turn on the right to access Place de la Pucelle.

Walk through the end of the pedestrian street to the Place de la Cathédrale. There, you can find Rouen’s Tourist Office Centre and the lofty Gothic cathedral.

Facing the cathedral, turn to the right and after a few metres, enter the Bureau des finances (House of the Exchequer) where you will find Rouen’ Tourist Office Centre.

House of the Exchequer www.rouentourisme.com

Walk across the Place de la Cathédrale towards the Tour Saint Romain, then turn right at Rue Georges Lanfry. Continue straight ahead: the street changes its name to Rue Saint Romain. On your right lies the “Cour des Libraires”. Later on, cross the Rue de la République and you will arrive on the little intimate square of Place Barthélémy towered by the impressive church Saint Maclou. The place Barthélémy owes its name from the 19th century architect who built the church spire. In order to install the spire, several houses had to be destroyed. To the left of the facade, observe the lovely 16th century fountain.

Church of Saint Maclou

Take Rue de Martainville on the right when you exit the church. A few metres beyond the chevet of the church, enter the Aître Saint Maclou on your left.

The Ossuary Saint Maclou

From the Aître Saint Maclou, return to Place Barthélémy and turn right on Rue Damiette. Cross the Rue d’Amiens and walk straight ahead on Rue des Boucheries Saint Ouens. On your left, the medieval and picturesque Rue Eau de Robec is lined up with half-timbered houses and in its centre is a streamlet crossed by a walkway. Arriving on the Place du Général de Gaulle, you will see the mighty Saint Ouen Abbey overlooking the greenery of the well-maintained gardens of the Town Hall. On your right, Rue des Faulx, stands an interesting row of half-timbered houses. The entrance to the Abbey is through the Marmousets Portal, to the south transept.

Take the time to stroll in the Gardens of the Town Hall which surround the Abbey with have views of the whole building. To the North stands the classical building of Rouen’s Town Hall.

Rouen’s Town Hall www.rouen.fr

Once outside the building, you are on Place du Général de Gaulle, which was designed in the 19th century. Take Rue de la République on your left for the next 30 metres and follow Rue Richard Lallemanton the right. Cross the little square and Rue de la Chaîne, walk along Rue Saint Amand until you arrive on Rue Saint Nicolas. Turn right and walk straight on until you reach Rue des Carmes. Walk 20 metres to the left on Rue des Carmes and turn right to Rue aux Juifs. Walk a mere 75 metres and the building of the Parliament of Normandy will appear to your right.

The right wing is a neo-Gothic pastiche from the 19th century which replaced a Classical style facade. Again, the facade on Rue Jeanne d’Arc, although elegant, only dates back to the 19th century, as is the clock tower. This part was built in order to reflect the Gothic west wing visible from the courtyard on the street.

The building used to house the Exchequer of Normandy which became the Parliament of Normandy and the Burghers’ Assembly under King Francis I in the 16th century. The two jurisdictions represented the high judicial and the small court.

The staircase of the west wing leads to the majestic Public Prosecutors’ Chamber (Salle des Procureurs) which was use by Rouen’s lawyers as a place of gathering. Its panelled ceiling is 16.5 metres wide. Towards the end of the vast chamber stands the table at which Pierre Corneille argued his cases when he was a lawyer. The writer was born in Rouen and lived in the city at 4 Rue de la Pie for 56 years.

Walk on Rue Socrate and you will reach the modern shopping mall of Rouen. Beyond it, cross Place du 9 Avril 1944 to reach the imposing building of the Fine Arts Museum on Rue de l’écureuil.

Continue to walk northwards on Rue du Bouvreuil then on Rue du Morand. At Place du Docteur Alfred Cerné, turn left on Rue du Donjon to admire the Tour Jeanne d’Arc.

Place du Vieux Marché is arguably the main square of Rouen with its half-timbered houses and restaurant and dominated by the modern church of Saint Joan of Arc.

The 1979 modern and wacky and spiky-looking memorial church is at odds with the surrounding fine brown-and-white half timbered houses. Some people see in the shape of the church an upturned boat or the pyre on which the Saint was burnt. The church is surmounted by a trapezoidal slate roof which is elongated to form a walkway across the square. The scaly tiling of the roof matches the fish-shaped windows.

Inside, 13 stained-glass windows from the Renaissance era form a glass wall of 500 square metres, bathing the interior in exceptional light. These fine windows date back to the 16th century and were originally set in another church which was destroyed during the Second World War. However, precautions had been taken and the windows were put in safe keeping until they found their new home some 40 years later. They illustrate Christ’s childhood, Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection, and life events of Saint Peter, Saint Anne and Saint Anthony of Padua.

Place du Vieux-Marché and Saint Joan of Arc Church

Go back to Place du Vieux Marché through Rue Jeanne d’Arc and, to the right, Rue Guillaume le Conquérant.

A small commemorative plaque and a 20 metre high cross mark the spot on which Joan of Arc was burnt alive on the 30th May 1431. On the adjacent walls, the marks of a former church destroyed in the past are visible.

Next to the church stands a small market hall, evoking the ancient tradition of trade occurring in the square as long ago as Joan of Arc’s time.

To appreciate and contrast the sober facade of the entrance pavilion, walk across the square. At the rear of the courtyard, the main building displays richer decoration and there is a beautiful hexagonal tower. The Renaissance features include six wide basket-handle arches which stand above a base composed of two levels. Observe on the central panel Kings Francis I and Henry VIII of England greeting each other in the presence of a long procession of dignitaries. Just beneath the roof, bas-reliefs illustrate the allegorical Triumphs of Petrach.

The north wing itself was entirely rebuilt after a fire in the 18th century.

The Second World War did not spare the mansion which was mostly destroyed by the Allied bombs and was rebuilt identically in the aftermath of the war. After having housed a bank for many years, it should become a 4 star hotel from 2010.

The Church of Saint-Maclou is arguably one of the most striking churches in Rouen. A Flamboyant church dedicated to a Breton saint known as Malo, it is considered one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Rouen, alongside with the cathedral and the Church of Saint Ouen. Saint Maclou, built from around 1435, is often cited as a church of monumental design in miniature.

One of the strangest landmarks of Rouen, the unique ossuary Saint Maclou (in French: Aitre de St Maclou) is a notorious tourist site. To place the ossuary in context, one must recall the Great Plague of 1348.

The fourth gallery, built in the 17th century, was only used as a school. From the 18th century, burials in town centres were forbidden and cemeteries inside any town centre were dismantled. The former ossuary was kept standing and now houses the regional school of fine arts.

Rouen may be famous for its Gothic churches, but these should not over-shadow other civil buildings such as the Gothic building of the Parliament of Normandy, one of the rare civil constructions in Gothic style in the late Middle Ages in France.

The central part of the building, erected during the 16th century, is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The decorations are more refined than the west wing and the balustrade radically different.

The whole building was seriously hit twice in 1944 by the Allied bombs and the roof and the pinnacles were destroyed. Only the walls made in stone were left standing and. An extensive restoration of the whole building was successfully undertaken to return it to its former glory.

The best view of the tower is from Rue du Donjon, but you if you wish to visit the inside of the tower you will need to enter from Rue du Bouvreuil. A steep spiral staircase leads to the top where a small collection of memorabilia related to Joan of Arc and the history of the castle is exhibited.

The private museum dedicated to Joan of Arc is located on the square in a cellar at the rear of a gift shop. There you can view a model of what Rouen Castle looked like when Joan was kept prisoner, several facsimile manuscripts on the Saint, etchings, the Saint’s armour and standard. Waxworks retrace some of the important moments in Joan’s life. www.jeanne-darc.com

Hôtel de Bourghtheloude

Gros Horloge

Cathedral Notre-Dame

Tourist Office Board / House of Exchequer

Church St Maclou

Aitre St Maclou (Ossuary)

Church St Ouen / Town Hall

Parliament of Normandy

Fine Arts Museum

Tour Jeanne d’Arc

Place du Vieux-Marché

River Seine

Main sights of Rouen

Guided tour of Rouen’s main sights

Gros-Horloge

Rouen Cathedral and House of the Exchequer at Christmas

Parliament of Normandy, Public Prosecutor’s Chamber

Rouen Fine Arts Museum, galerie intérieure

There are approximately 15 daily trains from Paris Gare Saint Lazare to Rouen, taking only 1.10 hours. Travelling by train from Paris is by far the easiest way to discover Rouen on a day-trip.

Rouen is also easily reached from Paris (135 km) by the Autoroute de Normandie (motorway A13) within 1.40 hours, and from the harbour town of Le Havre, from where ferries link Southern England.

If you are travelling from Australia, the best way to reach Rouen is to take a flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and take a train from Paris Gare Saint Lazare or to hire a car and drive from there.

How to get to Rouen...