Rouen- Norman city in the north France. Gothic monuments of the Middle Ages fill the air with an indescribable feeling of mystery and romance inherent in this time. Small streets with dense buildings of the specific architecture of the northern Europe only complement the already mystical picture.
A few months before the trip, while still at home, I looked at the computer monitor and calculated travel options. Highlighting on Paris week, I generously set aside two days for the trip. Opening the map Google, I carefully peered into the surroundings Paris and identified more or less interesting cities to visit. At the same time, I monitored the website of the French railways for the cost of moving. In principle, everything was logical - the shorter the distance, the cheaper.
But there was one more small feature - the more convenient the time of the trip, the more expensive it is. Those. very early or very late you can get almost twice as cheap. And that made me very happy. After trying a lot of different options and studying the information on the network, I decided on the place and time. The choice fell on the city Upper Normandy – Rouen.
Rouen - the history of the city
Rouen The city is quite old. Historians suggest that it was founded by Celtic tribes in ancient times. And then it was called Rotomagus (Rotomagus). At times ancient rome on the right bank Seine Baths and an amphitheater were built. This suggests that Rouen was important enough for the Romans. Indeed, in those days, every self-respecting city had to have an amphitheater.
of his heyday Rouen reached in the Middle Ages. V IX In the century, the harsh Normans got into the habit of devastating it. And soon they liked this occupation so much that they decided to simply capture it and start living there. So it became the capital of the duchy Normandy. From now on Rouen becomes a major port city and begins to conduct active trade with Paris.
At the beginning XIII century, thanks to several unsuccessful wars, Normandy loses its independence and becomes part of French kingdom.
Being in the north France, Rouen was often the center of hostilities. The British were especially fond of conquering it. At times Hundred Years War between England and France the city was one of the important strategic points.
Now Rouen not as big as in the distant past, but this does not prevent him from luring various inquisitive travelers with his historical sites and panoramic landscapes. This cup has not passed me.
From Paris to Rouen
Leaving the hotel early in the morning, we briskly walked to the already known one, since it was about 15 minutes to go. There the train was waiting for us to Rouen. The morning walk finally opened my eyes, and the day began.
There were printed tickets on hand. The tickets themselves were bought at home a couple of months before the trip at a price 40 euros for two there and back. V 8-20 in the morning we set off, and in 9-50 stood at the station Rouen. The most perspicacious reader has already calculated that on the way we spent only 1,5 hours. Considering that the distance from Paris before Rouen near 130 km, then everything converges.
From the train station Gare de Rouen-Rive-Droite there goes the street Joan of Arc (Rue Jeanne d'Arc), along which we went to explore the city.
After Paris the city seemed quiet, modest and provincial. Most likely, he is. There were very few people on the street. Perhaps the fact is that it was Sunday, and even morning. But over the course of the day, the people did not increase - a quiet and deserted place, which personally pleased me very much - because I wanted to walk around the city in the calm atmosphere of the French province.
On the street Joan of Arc we reached a small park, which we did not fail to look into. Swans swam in a small pond in a deserted park. We stood and were touched, looking at these imperturbable birds.
We were also indescribably (what a suitable word) pleased with the presence of a free dry closet in the park, since we already needed it.
Dry closet in Rouen - at least live there
The toilet differed from the Russian blue practical booths quite significantly. Sink with water, soap, paper, dryer - everything is available. Tse w "decaying" Europe where to go. Approximately the same toilet I observed on the territory Kremlin. Well, this is by the way 🙂
Having done all our most important things, we moved on to see the main sights Rouen.
Rouen - attractions
After passing through a park with swans, we went to Museum of Fine Arts. It looks no less elegant than what is inside. Although we did not go there, but after reading the information on the net, I realized that the museum is quite good.
Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen) v Rouen was founded in 1809 year. As you know, in this turbulent time of change, which began after French Revolution came to power Napoleon. And he carried out many victorious military campaigns, accompanied by a strong plunder of the defeated territories. These were “full” times for French museums.
The most "cream", of course, "shot" Louvre. But the regions got enough. including Rouen Museum of Fine Arts. The collections grew, and by the middle of the century there was not enough space. It was decided to erect a new museum building. So in 1877-1888 years the building of the modern Museum of Fine Arts v Rouen.
Rouen- the capital of the Impressionists, and therefore the museum has one of the largest collections of artists of this direction of painting. Among them 11 paintings by the founder of impressionism Claude Monet, including one of 50 cycle paintings "Rouen Cathedral". There is also a collection of Russian icons XVI-XIX centuries.
Right behind the museum, modestly stand two Gothic buildings. Wandering around, we assumed that these were churches. Only later, after the trip, I found out that one of these buildings is Forging Museum, and inside a huge number of related products. Such information was extremely unexpected for me, and I realized that it was bad not to know the local language, since there was a sign on the building that it was a museum. And, of course, we did not understand anything when we read it.
Rouen since the Middle Ages has become famous throughout Europe by their skilled blacksmiths. Plus, the presence of the river port contributed to the active sale and promotion of their products. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the museum of forged products was opened here.
Forging Museum (Musee Le Secq des Tournelles) opened in 1921 year in the former building of the church, built in the distant XV century. The museum's collection is considered one of the largest in the world, and is still regularly replenished. It presents both works of art that have no particular practical value, as well as simple household items of the Middle Ages. Many copies are extraordinary and exclusive. Admirers of various openwork iron gizmos will be interested in wandering there.
And if you consider that all these antiquities are inscribed in the interior of a Gothic church, it will become even more interesting to visit there and enjoy the medieval surroundings.
We decided to enjoy it some other time. If we were to stay at Rouen for 2-3 days, then it would be reasonable to walk around the museums, and in our case of a one-day trip, there was not much time for sedate pacing among antiquities. So we moved on.
The building next to the museum is still a mystery to me. Some kind of abandoned church without signs and other identification marks.
It is obvious that there used to be a church in this building. What happened to her is completely unclear. Everything looks deserted, dull, and even gloomy. There was a feeling that blacks would now jump out from around the corner and attack. If it was evening in the yard, they would surely have jumped out 🙂
Further down the street Rue Jean Lecanuet reached the square Charles de Gaulle (Place du General de Gaulle), on which the administrative building of the city hall is located, and in the center of the square there is a monument to Salavat Yulaev (hello Ufa😉) general de Gaulle On horse. This is what I thought, wandering in the labyrinths of logic. Once de Gaulle Square, then a monument to him.
It turned out that this was not de Gaulle, and where did he suddenly get a horse from. The monument turned out to be the most ordinary emperor Napoleon I. To the right of the square rises Gothic in the form of a church Abbeys of Saint-Ouen.
Abbey Saint-Ouen
Abbey Saint-Ouen (Abbaye Saint-Ouen de Rouen) founded far away 553 year. A small basilica was built as the main cathedral. Before the Normans began to "naughty" in these territories, the abbey was considered one of the most influential. But in IX century, the Normans came and ruined it.
V XI century during the strong Norman Duchy a new church was built on the site of the old basilica - this time in the Romanesque style. But she also had a hard time. V 1248 year it burned down.
V XIV century restless monks began another construction of the church, this time in the Gothic style. She was more fortunate than the rest - she survived to this day, and pleases the eye of every visitor Rouen.
Today, no abbey there, of course, has survived. The building where the monks lived XIX centuries made the mayor's office Rouen, and the monastic garden at the church became the city hall garden.
In the church itself, too, services have not been conducted for a long time, since it is not active. Concerts and exhibitions are held there periodically.
Personally, I like such churches, so I had to climb around the bush a bit, breathe in the smell of stone XV century. And in general, the whole ensemble of the church-town hall-square is pretty - clean, tidy and green. Behind the buildings is a lovely green garden. And there are no Chinese tourists, and not only Chinese, there are none at all.
From the church Saint Ouen headed down the street Rue des Boucheries Saint-Ouen, smoothly flowing into the street Rue Damiette. The street itself is impressive - the houses huddle together like football players in a "wall".
The architecture of houses in the signature northern style called fachwerk. "Fachwerk" comes from Germany, but the proud French built almost the same houses. But for some reason they called their style “colombazh”. We will not argue who stole style from whom, let those who receive money for it do it :-).
Turning our heads right and left, we got to the next point of our journey - Church of Saint-Maclou.
Saint Maclou Church (Église Saint-Maclou) built with 1435 on 1521 of the year. One of the brightest representatives of the "flaming" Gothic style. Badly damaged during the famous landing in Normandy allied forces in Second World War. Received two shells in the "torso", but was not completely destroyed, which made it possible to restore it after the war.
Gothic is really "flaming", as the Internet says. I agreed with them. Very gothic and very fiery. It was not really possible to get closer to her, since at that time she was fenced, and repair work was going on there. They say that now they have already been completed, the church has been cleaned, and now it is even more beautiful.
The church is also interesting for its "plague" cemetery. Saint-Maclou located in the neighborhood.
We walked down the street Rue Martainville along the church and saw on the left a small open gate and an arrow inviting you to go inside. Slightly intrigued, we accepted the invitation and entered.
Leaking through an incredibly narrow corridor-lane, we found ourselves in a strange mystical place. A square of old wooden black and gloomy houses, inside a small garden. Various parts of the body “grow” on the lawn, apparently made of stone (hardly real).
Body parts in the Saint-Maclou cemetery in Rouen
Skulls and some mysterious symbols and inscriptions are everywhere on the walls of houses. The sensations are specific, as if you are in a crypt.
After walking and falling into a little confusion and thoughtfulness, we went back. As usual, after the fact we found out that this is an old cemetery Saint-Maclou where people who died from the plague were buried. The new dead were buried in the ground, and the old bones were dug up and carefully placed on the upper floors of these same houses.
At one time there was even a children's school on the first floor. I am still in a bit of shock from this whole story. We went there by chance and did not think or wonder about where we are. And the inner feeling did not deceive us - there really breathes some kind of evil spirit of death. Nevertheless, it was interesting to go there.
After visiting the cemetery Saint-Maclou everything went more or less standard. After passing just a couple of houses, we went to the main religious building Rouen – Rouen Cathedral. As always - gothic. Cute, like everything else. Partial renovations were underway. Therefore, a variety of structures will certainly fall into the camera lens, which, with a stretch, can be called part of the cathedral. Huge, impressive, and, according to tradition, beautiful.
Rouen Cathedral built in stages with 1145 on 1506 year. Before construction began, there was a basilica on the site of the cathedral, which was torn to pieces by the Normans in IX century. Then a Romanesque church was built. And finally - modern Gothic.
Rouen Cathedral badly damaged during the bombing Second World War. Then it was successfully restored. The first ruler of the duchy is buried in it. Normandy Rollon- comes from Scandinavia. Until now, Norwegians and Danes argue about his nationality. Almost like we Rurik.
The height of the cathedral 151 m. At the end XIX centuries, for several years it was considered the highest church in the world, but was soon "surpassed". To date, it has been "furnished" by two more churches - Ulm Cathedral(town Ulm v Germany) and Notre Dame de la Paix(in the capital Ivory Coast city Yamoussoukro).
At one time the cathedral was chosen Claude Monet. The artist created a whole cycle, which he called "Rouen Cathedral" — 50 paintings from three different points at different times of the year. Most of the paintings are kept in Musée d'Orsay v paris.
From the cathedral there is a street Rue du Gros Horloge, passing through which you can stumble upon the famous Rouen astronomical clock Le Gros-Horloge. Something similar to Prague, only a little more modest and a little less informative - time, days of the week and lunar phases. The silver ball on top of the clock tells you what phase the moon is in. Judging by the ball on that day, it was a full moon (or not :-)).
Mechanism Rouen Hours (Le Gros-Horloge) was made in 1389 year. The clock is rightfully the oldest clock of its kind in the world. France. And the mechanism is the largest in the world. Dial diameter approx. 2,5 m. V XVI century, the clock was placed in its present place, ennobling with a beautiful gilded Gothic facade.
The clock is on the very first France pedestrian street. And it is named after them Rue du Gros Horloge.
"Hour" street Gros Horloge
The street connects two large cathedrals and is the main tourist artery Rouen.
On the way to the clock, I glanced down one alley and could not resist going there. I was so interested in this building, which turned out to be Palace of Justice. Another Gothic architectural structure, consisting of a huge number of small statues, which can be viewed for a couple of years.
Palace of Justice built in XV century. One of the brightest representatives of the Gothic style, not only in Rouen, but also in Europe generally. Abundantly "hung with" small sculptures and "cheerful" gargoyles looking friendly from the roof of the building.
Initially, it was conceived as a gathering place for local rich Pinocchio merchants to discuss pressing problems. Then it became the main building of the treasury and the seat of the parliament. And in the years Great French Revolution played the role of a judge. Yes, they remained so in the aftermath.
Now, in addition to the administrative task, it performs a cultural one, accommodating two small museums.
It’s a pity there is a fence there, and it’s difficult to get through it, and, probably, it’s also punishable. They didn't check. Just walked around him. An interesting arch met behind the palace. Clearly some piece of antiquity. You can speculate what was there before, using the imagination.
We returned back, and, having passed through the arch with the clock, we soon came to a busy square, where we decided to take a breath and gather our thoughts. Further on our entertaining trip to Rouen.
Rouen– an interesting city with a good selection of attractions, mostly Gothic. At the same time, a small number of tourists are very pleased. A calm and leisurely walk through the ancient city, without constantly scurrying masses of people, and standing in line to view the monument - what could be better 🙂
Rouen Cathedral (Fr. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, Notre Dame Cathedral) is one of the brightest architectural monuments of Gothic art. The majestic building is located in the central part of the city of Rouen, located northwest of Paris. Notre Dame de Rouen is included in the list of French national heritage and has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1979.
Cathedral history
The history of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Rouen dates back thousands of years. It has been rising in France for almost ten centuries.
Cathedral predecessor
The beginning of the temple was laid at the end of the IV century. The mention of the first Christian basilica of the period of the Roman Empire in Normandy dates back to this time. Later, an episcopal complex arose in its place, which consisted of a baptistery and two churches dedicated to Our Lady and St. Stephen. In 841, the complex was destroyed by the Normans who captured Rouen.
Erection and foundation
Only 70 years later, in 911, restoration work began. The leader of the Vikings, Rolland, received from King Charles III the Simple (September 17, 879 - October 7, 929) the title of duke, and with it the land of Normandy, provided that he accepted Christianity. In 1020, the construction of the temple in the Romanesque style began. Only one crypt has survived from the Romanesque part to this day. The rest of the building reflects the changing trends in the development of Gothic architecture.
The tower of San Romain was the earliest Gothic building of the cathedral. It has stood for almost 800 years since its construction in 1145 and was destroyed during the Second World War during the bombardment of Rouen by the allied forces. 6 shells hit the cathedral.
historical destiny
The history of the temple is dramatic. In 1200, during a fire, its nave collapsed, which led to the restructuring of the entire building. In 1202, on the Romanesque foundation laid by Rolland Pedestrian, Duke of Normandy, the construction of a Gothic church began. The process dragged on for centuries, so there is a difference in the architectural style of buildings.
Order of construction of the Rouen Cathedral:
- The San Romain tower was built in the early period of Gothic art.
- Work on the construction of the transept began in 1280, at the height of the "high" Gothic.
- The south tower belongs to the late, "flaming" period. The limestone used to build it was brought from Wales. The material has a yellowish tint, hence the name - Oil Tower. According to another version, this part of the temple was built with the money of wealthy citizens, paid by them as a tax for the right to eat butter during Lent.
- Work on the Central Tower was completed in 1514. In 1557, a tin-plated wooden spire was erected on top of it. After being struck by lightning in 1822, it burned down. The restoration was carried out taking into account the canons of construction of the XII century and was completed only in 1876. The mass of the spire was 1200 tons, the height was 151 meters. Thanks to him, the cathedral remained the tallest building in the world until 1880.
Post-war restoration
The last serious restoration work in the temple was carried out after the Second World War. Like their distant ancestors, the British and American troops once again caused serious damage to the beautiful building. During the landing of the allied troops in France, the nave and chapels were destroyed, only one wall remained from the Saint-Romain tower.
Restoration work was carried out with the financial participation of Great Britain, for which the Normandy land has a special historical significance.
Current position
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Rouen - the pearl of Rouen. The spire of the cathedral's central tower remains the tallest in France. Its grandeur and beauty invariably resonate in the hearts of millions of people around the world.
On June 7, 2010, more than a thousand people gathered on the square in front of the town hall. In their hands were posters with enlarged fragments of one of the 30 paintings by Claude Monet "Rouen Cathedral". Together they made a huge reproduction, which entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest "living picture".
Location of the church
Rouen is listed as a city of art and history by the French Ministry of Culture. Although many architectural monuments were damaged during the Second World War, most of the historical buildings have been preserved.
The Cathedral of Rouen is located on the Cathedral Square of the city. You can get to it by tram M - stop Théâtre des Arts. Directly opposite the temple is the tourist office, which housed a café in the 19th century. From its windows, Claude Monet (November 14, 1840 - December 5, 1926) admired the majestic building and made sketches for the paintings of his famous series. The impressionist painted Rouen during the entire last decade of the 19th century and on more than thirty canvases he reflected in color the appearance of the temple at different times of the year and day.
Then you can walk along the Big Clock Street to the Market Square, where Joan of Arc was executed in the 14th century. The street is intended only for pedestrians and is considered the oldest avenue in the city. Tourists are impressed by the half-timbered houses and the large astronomical clock on the arch of the 16th century.
Rouen is one of the five French cities in terms of antiquity of historical heritage. Stendhal called it "Gothic Athens".
Architecture and decoration of the building
Notre-Dame de Rouen is a unique architectural monument, the appearance of which reflects the stages of the formation of the canons of Gothic art.
Appearance
Three entrances to the temple amaze with their grandeur. The decoration of each is subject to a certain biblical story.
Main themes:
- the bas-relief of the first entrance tells about the Baptism of Jesus;
- the central one is dedicated to the Mother of God;
- the third entrance is to the Holy Martyr Etienne, stoned.
Facade and towers
The facade of the building is decorated with numerous arches, looking up, carvings and bas-reliefs from the life of the Saints. Noteworthy is the difference between the towers of the cathedral. Saint-Romain is an example of the laconic style of the early Gothic, while Maslyany is the embodiment of the "flaming" period of the late.
Gothic decor elements of the walls of the Oil Tower:
- ornament;
- elongated arches;
- gables.
stained glass
The stained-glass windows of the cathedral make a special impression on visitors, most of which have been preserved from the 13th century. They are distinguished by a soft azure hue, which glorified glass from Normandy throughout Europe.
The light of azure rays penetrating the temple inspired the Russian symbolist poet Maximilian Voloshin (May 16 (28), 1877 - August 11, 1932) at the beginning of the 20th century to create a cycle of poems "Rouen Cathedral". At that time, the poet was already familiar with the masterpieces of the great Claude Monet.
Interior design
At the same time, the composition of the temple corresponds to the original plan of the old Romanesque basilica, since its foundation serves as the basis of the structure. The side aisles and the central nave are separated by arches, the corners of the transept complete the towers, the columns surround the altar. At the base of Saint-Romain you can see a portico on columns of black stone with a statue of the prophet on top in Romanesque style.
Shrines and relics of the temple
Surprisingly, the fate of Notre Dame de Rouen reflected many eras in the history of mankind:
- Impressive with its beauty and tranquility is the chapel of the Virgin Mary, where the main icons of the cathedral are located.
- The shrine of the temple is a sarcophagus with the heart of King Richard I of England the Lionheart.
- The legendary Joan of Arc died in Rouen, her statue settled in one of the chapels, which was commissioned by Great Britain, which became a kind of apology for the events of 1431, when the heroine was burned.
Crypt
Notre Dame de Rouen was the burial place of the rulers and archbishops of Rouen and Normandy. The crypt is the only part of the temple that has survived from the time of the Romanesque building. Here lies the first Duke of Normandy Rolland and his descendants, there are sarcophagi of the archbishops of Rouen from the Amboise family.
Worship services and other visiting opportunities
Cathedral address : Place de Notre-Dame de Rouen (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen) 76000 Rouen, France.
Opening hours:
- Monday - from 14.00 to 18.00;
- from Tuesday to Saturday - from 9.00 to 19.00;
- Sunday - from 8.00 to 18.00.
The cathedral still functions as a Roman Catholic church, so part of it is closed to the public during worship. In summer, light shows are held on the western facade of the temple, mainly represented by paintings by Monet. Events start at 10 pm.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen on the map:
Video about Notre Dame de Rouen
This video demonstrates all the advantages of Notre Dame de Rouen.
Basic moments
The Catholic church rises to 151 meters and is currently the fourth tallest church on the planet, second only to Ulm (161.5 m) and Cologne (157.4 m) cathedrals in Germany, as well as the North Dame de la Paix cathedral in Côte d'Ivoire (158 m). In addition, Rouen Cathedral is one of the oldest Christian churches in Europe. Its history began in the 4th century. The Gothic temple that has survived to this day began to be erected in 1145, and its construction lasted until 1506.
Various disasters fell on the share of the Rouen Cathedral. He repeatedly burned in the flames of fires. In the 18th century, the temple was damaged by a powerful hurricane. Pretty destroyed the cathedral and the bombing of World War II. The quarters of Rouen experienced many air raids. The nave, the Saint-Romain tower and the chapels were significantly damaged due to bomb explosions and subsequent fires. At the end of 1999, a hurricane passed through the northern regions of France, and powerful gusts of wind destroyed one of the four turrets on the high spire of the Rouen Cathedral.
Today, Notre Dame in Rouen has been beautifully restored and is very popular with tourists. People come here to admire the high metal spire, the correct Gothic proportions and the solemn decor of the interiors. Travelers come to this temple for the colorful medieval stained glass windows and tombstones over the graves of famous people.
Every year, spectacular laser shows are organized on the facades of the Rouen Cathedral. At night, the towers and walls of the Catholic church become the backdrop, where fragments of the famous paintings by the French artist Claude Monet, who glorified Rouen Cathedral with a series of his paintings, illuminate.
In the summer of 2010, an interesting performance was held in front of the City Hall. 1250 people came to the square, holding an enlarged fragment of a painting by Claude Monet. They formed a large rectangle, which from above looked like one of the paintings by the famous impressionist from the Rouen Cathedral series. The mass action was filmed from a helicopter and included in the Guinness Book of Records.
History of Rouen Cathedral
The first documents that mention the Bishop of Rouen date back to 314, and the first Christian basilica in the city was built at the end of the 4th century. When archaeologists excavated here, they found that the ancient cathedral complex included two temples dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Stephen.
In 841 the Vikings invaded Rouen and completely destroyed both churches. The position of the city, as well as the region as a whole, remained uncertain, so it was decided not to restore the lost Christian shrines. At the beginning of the 10th century, the king of France decided to succumb to the Vikings and made Rouen the capital of the Duchy of Normandy.
To appease the conquerors, he gave his daughter for their leader - Rollon, who was called the "Pedestrian". The Viking received such a nickname for his tall stature and powerful physique. According to legend, Rollo was so heavy that the horses could not bear his weight, so the duke had to walk a lot. The elevation to the rank of duke took place in a simple basilica, and Rollo received the name of Robert I. The leader of Normandy became the founder of the famous Norman dynasty, which ruled the territory of Normandy and England until the first half of the 12th century.
The large Rouen Cathedral was built and reconstructed over several centuries. The first Romanesque church was erected in 1020. This church had a bypass gallery and chapels diverging around the altar. However, only the crypt has survived from the original Romanesque buildings to this day. The rest of the temple was built according to the same planning scheme, but in the traditions of the Gothic.
The oldest part of Rouen Cathedral is located on the north side of the Saint-Romain tower (1145). A tragic fate awaited the north tower. During World War II, Rouen was heavily bombed, and after fires in the summer of 1944, Saint-Romain burned out almost entirely, with the exception of strong stone walls. The nave of Rouen Cathedral was erected in 1200 after the nave of an older Romanesque church collapsed due to a fire. The Gothic nave is 28 meters high, 11.3 meters wide and 60 meters long.
The tower on the south side is usually called Maslyana (75 m). It appeared later than other parts of the Rouen Cathedral, in the 80s of the XV century. The construction of the tower took 20 years. According to legend, money collected for church indulgences was spent on it. Priests sold most indulgences to those who violated fasting days and, despite the ban, ate butter, so the southern tower of the cathedral was called Maslyana.
architectural features
The cathedral complex includes the temple itself and the archbishop's palace. Despite the fact that Rouen Cathedral was built for several centuries, all its parts look like a harmonious architectural ensemble. The building of the French cathedral is so large that being next to it, it is impossible to take in the temple with one glance. It does not fit into the field of view entirely.
The original Gothic cathedral had three portals, but two of them were badly damaged in the 16th century. The only portal on the north side, dedicated to John the Theologian, has survived to this day. Above it you can see a carved bas-relief with scenes of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Since the 1760s, this part of the Rouen Cathedral has been repeatedly restored.
The high central spire was built in 1557. In those days, it was made of wood and covered with tin plates. But in 1822, as a result of a lightning strike, the wooden spire burned down. Then the city authorities decided to build a new metal spire in the medieval Gothic style. The construction of the new spire continued from 1829 to 1876. For 4 years, the cathedral in Rouen was considered the highest in the world, until in 1880 the palm passed to Cologne Cathedral.
Due to the dark color, the metal spire stands out noticeably above the light facades. It continues to be the tallest cathedral spire in France. The massive structure weighs 1200 tons, and in order to climb to its top, you need to overcome 813 steps.
The writer Gustave Flaubert, a native of Rouen, had the opportunity to observe the erection of the spire and ironically called it "the whim of an enraged builder of steam boilers." If you look closely at the spire from a close distance, it really looks too "technogenic".
The abundance of decorative elements and sculptures on the facades appeared in the period that is commonly called "flaming Gothic". Figures of Christian saints are installed under the carved tympanums of Rouen Cathedral. And above the openwork portal there is a round rose window typical of Gothic architecture.
Rouen Cathedral interior
The interior design of the Rouen Cathedral is as striking as its walls and towers. A spacious altar is surrounded by a colonnade. In the center, under the spire, the vaults rise to a maximum height of 51 m. The interiors do not have that many colors that are found in Baroque churches. The color scheme is designed in subdued, austere tones, and the overall impression is harmoniously complemented by monochrome sculptures and light vaults.
Gothic windows are decorated with old stained-glass windows of the 13th century, which have a blue color. The characteristic shade is usually called "Chartres blue", since the technology for making Gothic stained glass windows was first used in the Catholic church of the city of Chartres. The beauty of the bright stained-glass windows of Rouen Cathedral is described in detail in Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary. Interestingly, some of the stained glass windows are signed with the names of the masters who made them. Eight hundred years ago, the technology of stained glass casting was only developing, so stained glass work was considered high art.
Rouen Cathedral houses several revered tombs. Here the first Duke of Normandy, Rollon Pedestrian and his son found their last refuge. In the cathedral there is a sarcophagus, where lies the heart of another Duke of Normandy and the English King Richard I the Lionheart, who ruled from 1189 to 1199.
In one of the chapels you can see the statue of Joan of Arc. The sculpture of the French heroine with a commemorative inscription from the British did not appear here by chance. On the territory of the Rouen Cathedral, the trial of Joan of Arc was held, and she was sentenced to death. In 1431, the girl was accused of heresy and executed, but 25 years later, these charges were dropped. Signs installed on Saint-Romain street testify to historical events.
Rouen Cathedral in the paintings of artists
The strict and at the same time elegant Gothic appearance of the Rouen Cathedral inspired many artists. At the end of the 19th century, the French impressionist Claude Monet painted more than 30 canvases with views of the Gothic cathedral. He depicted an ancient temple from three points in different natural light and conveyed the variability of light with amazing accuracy. Monet worked on the painting series for about two years, repeatedly coming to Rouen and renting a room opposite the cathedral.
The artist created some of the paintings and sketches on the spot, and completed work on some in his workshop in the town of Giverny. The canvases were connected by a single plot and organically complemented each other, showing the changes taking place in nature from dawn to dusk. Art critics consider the paintings with the Rouen Cathedral one of the pinnacles of Impressionism.
It is known that at first the artist hid a series of paintings about the Rouen Cathedral even from his friends. Only in 1895, most of the 30 paintings were exhibited in the Dunard-Ruel gallery, and the exhibition caused a stir among the public. However, Claude Monet failed to sell the entire series, so the paintings were sold one by one to different countries of the world. Today they are in private collections and galleries in Russia, France and the USA.
In 1969, the painter Roy Fox Lichtenstein created a triptych dedicated to Rouen Cathedral. The American master worked in the style of pop art and also depicted the facade of a Gothic temple. Lichtenstein took the works of Claude Monet as a basis, superimposing a typographic screen on them.
Opening hours
For tourists, Rouen Cathedral is open seven days a week. From Tuesday to Saturday it can be accessed from 9.00 to 19.00, on Sundays from 8.00 to 18.00, and on Mondays from 14.00 to 18.00.
How to get there
Rouen Cathedral is located in the historical part of the city. It rises on the right bank of the Seine, on Rue Saint-Romain, 3, named after the patron saint of Rouen - Saint Roman.
Rouen is easily accessible from Paris. The city can be reached in 1.5 hours by trains departing from Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris. Regular buses arrive from Paris to Rouen at 2.40. In addition, Rouen is connected by rail to Zurich, Nice, Strasbourg and Marseille. And by bus you can get to this city from London, Lisbon and Madrid.
Claude Monet painted Rouen Cathedral for more than two years. In total, he got 47 sketches and 31 paintings depicting the cathedral in different lighting conditions. Monet did not advertise his activities, but, on the contrary, carefully concealed them. He rented two apartments in houses on the cathedral square, which he visited incognito. The artist looked at the cathedral from behind a curtain, so as not to be seen from the street. Since the appearance of the cathedral depended on the lighting, several paintings stood on the easels at once, and at each particular moment the one that corresponded to the weather was drawn. In 1894, when the work was completed, Monet arranged an exhibition-sale dedicated to the cathedral. Criticism, usually not well disposed towards the Impressionist artists, this time responded quite favorably, and Monet successfully realized several works from a series of three to five thousand francs. Most recently, one of these paintings was resold for $24 million.
Five paintings hang in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris all together on one wall. As soon as I saw the wall with images of the cathedral, I immediately understood how I would start reporting on Rouen. It is not forbidden to use a camera in this museum, but I did not know this and I came there without a camera. At my request, my colleague's wife took the photo with a "soap box" the next day. Her name is Lera - this is how I denote my respect for her copyright. All five pictures did not fit into the frame, these are three medium ones. Photoshop is mine .
Where are the rest of the series? Everywhere. One painting is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen itself, two in the National Gallery in Washington, another in Belgrade, and the rest are dispersed into private collections. To be honest, I myself am a weak connoisseur of such works. When I looked at them in D'Orsay, I could not make out 24 million dollars in these trembling strokes. But since they pay so much, it means that these millions are drawn somewhere.
Rouen Cathedral or Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen- Cathedral of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy. This magnificent Gothic cathedral is a French national heritage site. The beginning of construction dates back to 1202. The length of the cathedral is 135 m with a width of 32 m; This is a Catholic functioning cathedral of the city of Rouen, but from 10 am to 4 pm, every hour guides offer tourists tours of the cathedral, which leaves no one indifferent. The nave was built in 1200 when the existing Romanesque nave collapsed in a fire. The central spire was added later than all in the middle of the 19th century.
Its height is 151 meters. After its construction from 1876 to 1880, the cathedral was the tallest building in the world (151 meters), then yielding this title to the Cologne Cathedral. The spire weighs 1200 tons and is still considered the tallest in all of France...
At the end of the 4th century, a Christian basilica was built on the site of the modern cathedral. It was destroyed in 841 during a Viking raid. Around 1020, construction began on a new Romanesque cathedral. From it, only the crypt is now preserved, which we see in the photo below. Later, the construction of the cathedral in the Gothic style began.
In 1145, the archbishop of the city wanted to create a stone cathedral and laid the foundation for the modern cathedral. The cathedral suffered many times. In particular, in 1944, 7 bombs hit the cathedral and 6 of them exploded and severely damaged the cathedral.
But the last great destruction was on December 26, 1999, when on the second day of the Catholic Christmas a strong storm swept through and tore off one tower of the cathedral. Falling, she broke through the roof and fell into the cathedral itself and broke a lot of things inside.
Even inside the cathedral one can feel the enormous height of the vaults. The height from floor to ceiling is 51 meters, which corresponds to a 20-storey building.
The cathedral has a bas-relief that commemorates the construction of the cathedral, as well as a statue of Our Lady of Rouen who saved the city from the plague in the early 17th century.
The new altar in the cathedral was made very recently, in 1960.
The cathedral is famous for its stained glass windows. Some windows of the cathedral are still decorated with 13th-century stained-glass windows, made famous by the specific blue color known as Chartres blue. Since the 13th century, Norman stained glass has been considered perhaps the best in Europe. The stained glass windows date from the early 13th century.
There are many graves in the cathedral. The most famous burial is the tomb of King Richard the Lionheart of England.
However, the King himself is buried in England, and here in the Cathedral of Rouen is buried king's heart.
In the Rouen Cathedral there is a genuine sarcophagus, in which the heart of a great knight was placed many centuries ago - Richard the Lionheart. The great warrior, the king of England, died in his bed in the arms of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who survived him. According to his will, Richard the Lionheart was buried in three places: the body in the province of Anjou, the brain in Poitou, and his heart in a sarcophagus in Rouen Cathedral.
Richard's heart was originally in a small lead box. During the restoration of the cathedral in the post-war period, they decided to open the box. Instead of the heart of a great warrior, scientists found only a handful of dust.
They did not put the box back into the sarcophagus. It is stored somewhere in the service rooms of the cathedral. So the Rouen tomb of Richard the Lionheart is empty.
Here, in the 13th century, the younger brother of the British King Richard, Henry, was buried.
Burial of the 14th century, the Norman king Rollo.
And this burial in the cathedral is the oldest. It dates back to the 12th century and was made before the construction of the cathedral. This is the tomb of the city bishop.
And these later burials date back to the 16th century and cardinals are buried here.
The organ has been in the cathedral since the 14th century. The modern organ to the cathedral was donated in 1760 and last overhauled in 1956.
The oldest part of Rouen Cathedral is the northern tower of Saint-Romain, built in 1145. The tower was badly damaged during the bombing in June 1944.
The south tower is called Oily and was built in 1485.
This later style, with many fine details and an intricate shape, is called flaming gothic. Both towers have little in common in terms of appearance. The south tower is more yellow in color. For some reason, it was not built from local limestone, but from a more yellow stone, which was brought all the way from Wales. For its more yellow color, the tower was nicknamed Maslyana.
But there is another legend that the Oil Tower was built in their repose by sinners who ate food with oil during Lent. and as a sign of repentance they built an oil tower. .
The city of Rouen itself is known not even for this cathedral, but for the last years of the life of Jeanne Darke, and it is with her life that the places of the city are connected.
The tower "Mighty keep" was part of the city's castle, built in 1204 during the reign of Philip II Augustus. The rest of the castle was destroyed at the end of the 16th century during the religious wars. The tower is famous for the fact that, according to legend, Joan of Arc was imprisoned in it during the trial that took place in the city in 1430-1431.
From the Benedictine abbey, which functioned from the 8th century, the church has survived to our time, the construction of which, due to the Hundred Years War, stretched over several centuries - from the 14th to the 16th. The result is a splendid temple that combines features of both high and flaming gothic. The church is also famous for its stained-glass windows, made almost simultaneously, in the XIV-XV centuries. The building of the monastery dormitory has been used as the city hall since the French Revolution.
The church houses one of the best organs in France, created in 1890.
An astronomical clock with a 14th-century mechanism and a 16th-century dial is located in the tower's pavilion, above a Renaissance arch that forms the gateway to one of the city's busiest streets. A symbol of the city's wealth and one of the first clocks of its kind in Europe, it is not only a symbol of Rouen, but also perhaps the city's most photographed tourist attraction. Inside the Gothic tower is a small museum dedicated to the history of Rouen.
The street is the first in France to receive the status of a pedestrian street - in 1971.The pendulum of the clock was created in 1389 and the clock was installed in the same year.
In 1920, Jeanne was canonized by the church and appointed by the French parliament to the vacant position of the main national heroine. In 1979, on the square of the Old Market, where a fire burned in 1431, according to the plans of Aretsh, a complex was erected from a modern church, a market and a memorial, which were opened with pomp in the presence of the President of the Republic. The interior of the temple is decorated with stained-glass windows of the 16th century, transferred here from the church of Saint-Vincent destroyed in 1944.
The old market square, located outside the ancient city fortifications, has served as a market and place of executions since the 11th century. In the 18th century, it was planned to completely rebuild it, demolish the Church of the Holy Savior and build a magnificent town hall on the new “royal” square - the French Revolution prevented the project that had already started. The square, surrounded by half-timbered houses of the 15th-16th centuries, is famous primarily as the place of execution of Joan of Arc, with a huge cross in place of the fire.More than 300 people were executed on the square from 1797 to 1808.
The church of Saint-Maclou, which began to be built in 1437, is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. Five wooden Renaissance doors of its portals are covered with carved scenes on the themes of the baptism of Christ, the good shepherd and the Virgin Mary. The temple, devoid of a transverse transept, nevertheless has a central tower typical of Norman Gothic, the restoration of which was completed only a few years ago. Despite being hit by two air bombs in 1944, some of the original 15th-century stained-glass windows have been preserved in the church.
To the left of the western portal is the Pissing Children Fountain.
The most unusual and amazing place in the city.
The atrium of Saint-Maclou is the courtyard of the "new" cemetery of the church of the same name. With the advent of the first plague epidemic in Europe in the middle of the 14th century, the old church cemetery ceased to accommodate everyone who wanted to rest on it. A site nearby was allocated as a new one - today it is a courtyard fenced on three sides by old half-timbered houses with galleries built in 1526-1533. The houses are decorated with wooden carvings with symbols of death, reminiscent of the frailty of existence: these are skulls, bones, coffins, ...
By decree of the Parliament of Normandy, the cemetery was closed in 1781, after which its buildings were used mainly as schools, first for boys, and later for girls.
Palace of Justice
The history of Rouen railway stations began in 1841 with the construction of the Paris-Rouen railway line. The first train covered the distance from the capital in just 5 hours. Before the First World War, according to the Dervo project, they began to build a modern station, which was completed only by 1924, and opened in 1928 in the presence of the President of the Republic. The Art Nouveau building with a 30-meter clock tower was one of the last buildings of this remarkable architectural trend.
Railway station.
Monument to Napoleon
Today, about 112,000 people live in the city, and such high-speed trams run around the city, practically replacing the metro.
The Rouen tram runs from 5:00 am to 11:30 pm. On Sunday it opens one hour later at 6.00 am.
During peak hours, the intervals are 2-3 minutes, outside the peak time - 15-20 minutes.
Also on the official website of transport of Rouen there is a schedule of light rail trains.A one-time ticket to enter the tram costs about 1.5 euros. The ticket is valid for one hour. There are other types of travel tickets - magnetic cards for 10 trips.
