Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Rouen
In the historic heart of the city, this magnificent cathedral took nearly 400
years to build. It stands as a record of the entire span of French Gothic archi-
tecture. Through the centuries, it has captured the imagination of artists, most
famously Monet, who was so obsessed with the west façade that he painted it
30 times between 1892 and 1894 - at different times of day and year, and in
various weather conditions, in order to capture the subtle changes of colour
and light. His thick impasto suggests the texture of the ornately carved stone.
Top 10 Features
1 West Façade
2 Spire
3 Booksellers' Courtyard
4 Nave
5 Lantern Tower
6 Choir
7 Lady Chapel
8 Ambulatory Tombs
9 Library Staircase
0 Window of St Julian the
Hospitaller
Spire of the Cathédrale
Notre-Dame
In a half-timbered
building on a charming
old street opposite
the cathedral's north
front, Dame Cakes (70
rue St-Romain) has a
wonderful selection
of tarts and gâteaux.
West Façade
Familiar through
Monet's paintings, this
richly sculpted façade
(right)
reflects the evolu-
tion of the Gothic style.
The most elaborate part is
Roulland le Roux's early
16th-century central porch.
You can get a good
view of the famous
west façade from the
tourist office (25 pl de
la Cathédrale). Walk
round to Albane
Courtyard on the
north side to see
where relics of earlier
cathedrals have been
discovered.
•
pl de la Cathédrale,
76000 Rouen
•
Map M6
• 02 35 89 73 78
•
Open 8am-2pm Mon,
8am-7pm Tue-Sat,
8am-6pm Sun. Closed
public hols
•
Free
• Guided tours: phone
for details
Spire
Flaubert was
famously rude about it,
but the people of Rouen
have grown fond of this
cast-iron spire, the tallest
in France. A bold 19th-
century design, it matches
the height of the hills
that surround the city.
Booksellers'
Courtyard
Created as a short cut for
the local canons, this narrow
courtyard is notable for the
intricacy of its carvings.
Nave
Typical of the early
Gothic style, the exquisitely
proportioned nave
(left)
has
four storeys: arches, tribunes
(in this case, false ones),
gallery, and upper windows.
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