“Gothic Athens,” where the Maid of Orleans shed tears

The French writer Stendhal called Rouen “the Athens of the Gothic style.” Although Rouen’s various civic and religious buildings suffered significant damage during the bombings and fires of World War II, fortunately, most of the city’s most iconic historical monuments have been restored or rebuilt, making Rouen one of the top six French cities in terms of the number of classified historical monuments and one of the top five in terms of the antiquity of its historical heritage.

And just a little more—just a tiny bit—about the history of Rouen:

During the Hundred Years’ War, on January 19, 1419, Rouen was captured by the troops of King Henry V of England, who annexed Normandy to the English Crown. Henry V died in 1422, and King Charles VI of France died that same year. Henry V’s brother, John of Lancaster, became regent of France and attempted to seize the lands of Rouen, in which he was partially successful. After becoming a canon of Rouen Cathedral, he was buried there upon his death in 1435.

It was in Rouen—the former center of English power within the French kingdom—that Joan of Arc was tried and executed at the instigation of the Duke of Bedford and the Burgundian faction. On May 30, 1431, the Rouen executioner Geoffroy Thérage sent her to the stake. That same year, the young Henry VI of the House of Lancaster was crowned King of France and England in Paris, after which he arrived in Rouen, where he was greeted with great fanfare by the crowd. The King of France restored Rouen to the French crown in 1449, 18 years after Joan of Arc’s death and following 30 years of English occupation.

Notable landmarks:

Notre-Dame Cathedral—The Primatial Cathedral of Notre-Dame embodies features from all stages of Norman Gothic architecture. A lantern tower rises above the cathedral’s crossing, crowned by a cast-iron spire 151 meters high (the tallest in France). The tower has never served as a bell tower. Inside the cathedral, visitors can explore the history of its stained-glass windows, dating from the 13th century to the present day. In addition to the stained-glass windows, the cathedral is renowned for its facade sculptures; 70 statues, situated at heights ranging from 20 to 30 meters, were created between 1362 and 1421.

The City Clock—A landmark of the city is the large city clock (Gros-Horloge), which symbolized Rouen’s power. The mechanism of this tower clock dates back to the 14th century, while the dial was crafted in the 16th century. The clock is housed in a small mansion, beneath whose Renaissance arch runs the rue du Gros-Horloge, and is flanked by a Gothic belfry. On the double dial, a single hand indicates the hour.

The history of Rouen in Normandy is so rich that one could devote several essays to it… But after all, we came here to watch France’s top players. Rouen is hosting the national international checkers championship.

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