Rouen Cathedral, temple of the Norman Dukes. Rouen Cathedral Notre Dame Rouen Cathedral address

Rouen– Norman city in the north France. Gothic monuments of the Middle Ages fill the air with an indescribable sense of mystery and romance inherent in this time. Small streets with dense buildings of specific northern architecture 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 allocated two days to travel. Opening the map Google, I looked carefully at 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 price of movement. In principle, everything was logical - the shorter the distance, the cheaper.

But there was one more small feature - the more convenient the travel time, the more expensive it is. Those. very early or very late you can get there for almost half the price. And this made me very happy. After trying a lot of different options and studying information on the Internet, I decided on a place and time. The choice fell on the city Upper Normandy – Rouen.

Rouen - history of the city

Rouen— the city is quite ancient. Historians suggest that it was founded by Celtic tribes back in ancient times. And it was called then Rotomagus. During times Ancient Rome on the right bank Seine baths and an amphitheater were built. This suggests that Rouen was quite important to the Romans. After all, in those days, every self-respecting city had to have an amphitheater.

Your heyday Rouen reached in the Middle Ages. IN IX century, the harsh Normans began to devastate it. And soon they liked this activity so much that they decided to simply seize 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 first 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 especially loved to conquer it. During times Hundred Years' War between England And France the city was one of the important strategic points.

Now Rouen is not as large as in the distant past, but this does not prevent it from luring a variety of inquisitive travelers with its historical places and panoramic landscapes. This cup has not passed me either.

From Paris to Rouen

Leaving the hotel early in the morning, we walked at a brisk pace to the already known one, fortunately the walk was about 15 minutes. There the train was waiting for us to Rouen. The morning walk finally opened my eyes, and the day began.

We had printed tickets on hand. The tickets themselves were purchased at home a couple of months before the trip at a price 40 Euro for two round trip. IN 8-20 in the morning we set off, and at 9-50 stood at the station Rouen. The most perspicacious reader has already calculated that we spent only 1,5 hours. Considering that the distance from Paris before Rouen near 130 km, then everything fits.

From the train station Gare de Rouen-Rive-Droite there is a 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, this is what he is. There were very few people on the street. Perhaps it was because it was Sunday, and morning at that. But as the day went on, the number of people did not increase - it was a quiet and deserted place, which personally made me very happy - since 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 didn’t fail to look into. In a deserted park, swans swam in a small pond. We stood and were moved, looking at these imperturbable birds.

We were also indescribably (what a suitable word) pleased that there was a free dry closet in the park, since we already needed it.

Dry toilet in Rouen - even if you live there

The toilet differed from the Russian blue practical stalls quite significantly. Sink with water, soap, paper, dryer - everything is available. Tse "decaying" Europe, where to go. I saw approximately the same toilet on the territory Kremlin. Well, that's by the way :)

Having done all our most important things, we moved on to explore the main attractions Rouen.

Rouen - attractions

After passing through the park with swans, we came to Museum of Fine Arts. It looks no less elegant than what is inside. Although we didn’t go there, after reading the information on the Internet, 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 is known, 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 vigorous plunder of the defeated territories. These were rich times for French museums.

Of course, he took off the cream of the crop Louvre. But the regions also 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, a modern building appeared Museum of Fine Arts V Rouen.

Rouen is the capital of the Impressionists, and therefore the museum has one of the largest collections of artists of this style 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, two Gothic buildings stand modestly. Wandering around, we assumed they were churches. Only later, after the trip, did I find out that one of these buildings was Forging Museum, and inside there is a huge number of relevant products. This 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 we, naturally, 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 a river port contributed to the active sale and popularization of their products. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Museum of Forged Products opened here.

Forging Museum (Musée Le Secq des Tournelles) opened in 1921 year in a former church building 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 do not have much practical value, as well as simple household items of the Middle Ages. Many specimens are extraordinary and exclusive. Admirers of various openwork iron contraptions will be interested in wandering around there.

And if you consider that all these antiquities are included in the interior of the 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 stopped at Rouen for 2-3 days, then it would be reasonable to take a stroll through the museums, but in our case, a one-day trip, there was not much time for sedate walking among antiques. So we moved on.

The building next to the museum is still a mystery to me. Some abandoned church without signs or other identifying marks.

It is obvious that there used to be a church in this building. What happened to her is completely unclear. Everything looks desolate, dull, and even gloomy. There was a feeling that now blacks would jump out from around the corner and attack. If it had been evening outside, they would definitely have jumped out :)

Further down the street Rue Jean Lecanuet reached the square Charles de Gaulle (Place du Général 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😉) to the general de Gaulle On horse. This is what I thought, wandering in the labyrinths of logic. If it's de Gaulle Square, then it's a monument to him.

It turned out that this is not de Gaulle, and where did he suddenly get a horse? The monument turned out to be an ordinary emperor Napoleon I. To the right of the square rises a Gothic church Abbey of Saint-Ouen.

Abbey of Saint-Ouen

Abbey of Saint-Ouen de Rouen founded in distant 553 year. A small basilica was built as the main cathedral. Before the Normans began to play mischief in these territories, the abbey was considered one of the most influential. But in IX century the Normans came and destroyed it.

IN XI century in times of strong Duchy of Normandy on the site of the old basilica, a new church was built - this time in the Romanesque style. But it wasn’t easy for her either. IN 1248 year it burned down.

IN XIV century, restless monks began another construction of the church, this time in the Gothic style. She was luckier than others - she has survived to this day, and pleases the eye of every visitor Rouen.

Today, of course, no abbey remains there. The building where the monks lived, at the beginning XIX centuries they made the city hall Rouen, and the monastic garden at the church became the garden of the city hall.

In the church itself, services have not been held for a long time, since it is not active. Concerts and exhibitions are held there periodically.

Personally, I like churches like this, so I had to wander around a little and breathe in the smell of the stone XV century. And in general, the whole church-town hall-square ensemble is nice - clean, tidy and green. Behind the buildings there is a nice green garden. And there are no Chinese tourists, and not only Chinese ones, 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 are huddled together like football players in a “wall”.

The architecture of the houses is in the signature northern style called half-timbered. “Fachwerk” comes from Germany, but the proud French built almost the same houses. But for some reason they called their style “colombage”. We won’t argue about who stole who’s style; let those who get money for it do it :-).

Turning our heads left and right, we reached the next point of our journey - Church of Saint-Maclou.

Church of Saint-Maclou was built with 1435 By 1521 of the year. One of the brightest representatives of the “flaming” Gothic style. Severely damaged during the famous landing in Normandy allied forces in World War II. She received two shells in the “torso”, but was not completely destroyed, which made it possible to restore it after the war.

Gothic is truly “flaming”, as the Internet writes. I agreed with them. Very gothic and very flaming. It was not really possible to get closer to it, since at that time it was fenced off and repair work was going on there. They say that they have now 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 next door.

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.

Having leaked through an incredibly narrow corridor-alley, we found ourselves in a strange mystical place. A square of old wooden black and gloomy houses, with a small garden inside. Various body parts “grow” on the lawn, apparently made of stone (hardly real).

Body parts at the Saint-Maclou cemetery in Rouen

There are skulls and some mysterious symbols and inscriptions everywhere on the walls of the houses. The sensations are specific, as if you are in a crypt.

After walking around and falling into a little confusion and thoughtfulness, we went back out. As usual, we found out after the fact 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 ground floor. I am still in slight shock from this whole story. We went there by chance and didn’t think or guess about where we were. And our inner feeling did not deceive us - there really is some kind of evil spirit of death there. 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 came to the main religious building Rouen – Rouen Cathedral. As always - gothic. Cute, like everything of this kind. Partial repairs were underway there too. Therefore, the camera lens will certainly catch various structures that, with a stretch, can be called part of the cathedral. Huge, impressive, and, according to tradition, beautiful.

Rouen Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen) was built in stages from 1145 By 1506 year. Before construction began, on the site of the cathedral there was a basilica, which was torn to smithereens by the Normans in IX century. Then they built a Romanesque temple. And in the end - modern Gothic.

Rouen Cathedral severely damaged during the bombing Second World War. After which it was successfully restored. The first ruler of the duchy is buried there Normandy Rollon- comes from Scandinavia. Until now, Norwegians and Danes argue about his nationality. Almost like us Rurike.

The height of the cathedral is 151 m. At the end XIX century, 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(city Ulm V Germany) And Notre-Dame de la Paix(in the capital Ivory Coast city Yamoussoukro).

At one time the cathedral was favored 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. The bulk of the paintings are stored in Orsay Museum V Paris.

There is a street leading from the cathedral Rue du Gros Horloge, walking along which you can stumble upon the famous Rouen astronomical clock Le Gros-Horloge. They are somewhat similar to the Prague ones, 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 that day, there was a full moon (or not :-)).

Mechanism Rouen Clock (Le Gros-Horloge) was manufactured in 1389 year. The watch is rightfully the oldest such watch in 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 current location, ennobled by a beautiful gilded Gothic façade.

The clock is at the very first France pedestrian street. And it is named after them Rue du Gros Horloge.

"Clock" 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 you can look at 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 wealthy Pinocchio merchants to discuss pressing issues. Then it became the main building of the treasury and the seat of parliament. And in the years Great French Revolution played the role of a court. Yes, that’s how it remained for them later.

Now, in addition to the administrative task, it performs a cultural one, housing two small museums.

It’s a pity there is a fence there, and it’s difficult to get through it, and probably even punishable. They didn't check. They just walked around him. Behind the palace there was an interesting arch. Obviously some piece of antiquity. You can imagine what was there before using your imagination.

We returned back and, having passed through the arch with the clock, soon came out into a busy square, where we decided to take a breather and collect 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, the small number of tourists is very pleasing. 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 :)

Normandy is a region of modern France with an ancient history. The Romans called this area Celtic Gaul. At the same time, the first settlement arose in the place where the city of Rouen (France) is located today. As the administrative center of Normandy, it annually welcomes thousands of tourists who come to explore local attractions, including the famous Cathedral.

Capital of the Duke of Normandy

Already in the 3rd century AD. e. Rouen was a prosperous city in Roman Gaul with baths and an amphitheater. It is not known exactly when the local residents adopted Christianity, but the work of the Rouen bishop Victricius, dated to the end of the 4th century, has been preserved, where it is reported that at that time a Christian basilica was being built in the city.

Gaul was later conquered by the Franks and by the middle of the 9th century, when the Norman raids began, it was part of the West Frankish kingdom. During these raids, Rouen was repeatedly sacked by warlike Normans. Finally, in 911, the Frankish king Charles III, in accordance with the peace treaty concluded, declared Rollo, the leader of the Normans, duke of the territory he had conquered.

The duchy became known as Normandy, and Rouen became its capital. Rollo, like many of his fellow tribesmen, converted to Christianity, receiving the name Robert at baptism. Rouen Cathedral is where the remains of the first Duke of Normandy rest today.

From Romanesque basilica to Gothic cathedral

The first Christian temple in Rouen was destroyed during one of the Norman raids. The building was not restored, but in its place, after the formation of the duchy in the 10th century, another basilica in the Romanesque style with a baptistery was built. From the ancient structure, only the crypt has survived to this day, which can be seen when visiting Rouen Cathedral.

The austere architecture of the Romanesque style was replaced by the sublime Gothic style. Like many other churches in France, the Rouen Cathedral began to be built in the 12th century in accordance with the new architectural style. The work lasted for several centuries, so the temple itself can be considered a unique illustration of the history of Norman Gothic.

Tower of Saint Romain

The Saint-Romain Tower is the oldest surviving part of the cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Rouen. Below it is the baptistery, reminiscent of the Romanesque basilica that once stood on this site.

The tower is named after one of the bishops of the city - Romain, who lived in the 7th century, who, according to legend, defeated the monster that lived in the Seine. It is a pity that Saint Romain could not save the tower that bears his name during the Second World War. As a result of the Allied bombing, the Rouen Cathedral was greatly damaged, in particular, only the walls remained of the Saint-Romain Tower.

During the twelve post-war years, restoration work was carried out in the cathedral. But let's return to the history of the tower. Its construction began in 1145, in the early Gothic era, and the last floors were completed in the late Gothic era. There are 813 steps leading to the top of the 82-meter building, which rises above the nave.

Since the 16th century, the Saint-Romain Tower was crowned by a tin-covered wooden spire, until in 1822 it burned down from a direct lightning strike. Later it was replaced by a metal one with four turrets, although one of them was demolished several years ago by a strong hurricane that swept over the north of France.

Architectural eclecticism

Rouen Cathedral, the architecture of which forms a single ensemble with the archbishop's palace, is one of the important monuments of French medieval Gothic.

True, its planning scheme with radial chapels around the apse is inherent in the earlier Romanesque style. The colonnade surrounding the vast altar of the temple was also considered an outdated architectural solution at the beginning of the 13th century.

But the facade with its stone ligature, many arches, a string of statues of saints and apostles is a striking example of Norman Gothic at its peak. The Tour de Beur, that is, the Butter Tower, was built in this style, the yellowish stone for which was brought from Wales.

The central cross of the cathedral is crowned by a lantern tower with the tallest spire in all of France. This spire forged from iron was installed in the 19th century, and against the backdrop of medieval architecture it looks too technologically advanced.

What you can't miss

The Rouen Cathedral cannot fail to impress, especially on those visiting it for the first time. The height of the ceiling in the central part of the temple is comparable to the height of a modern twenty-story building, and the length of the central passage is 137 m. Under the ceiling, instead of the planned balconies, openwork windows were made.

Cathedrals often served as burial places for rulers and church prelates. In addition to the tomb of the first Duke of Normandy, Rollon and his son, the heart of Richard the Lionheart rests in the Rouen Cathedral and the sarcophagi of several archbishops are installed.

Medieval Normandy was famous for its craftsmen who made stained glass windows of an unusual azure color. Therefore, it is not surprising that Rouen Cathedral also possesses these 13th-century artifacts.

A description of the temple would be incomplete without saying a few words about the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. Here, in addition to stained glass windows, you can get acquainted with the main icons of the cathedral and examine medieval carved benches and panels.

Rouen Cathedral Monet

The Cathedral became world famous thanks to a series of works by the French impressionist Claude Monet. The artist worked on it for more than two years, periodically coming to Rouen to capture the western façade of the temple at different times of the day.

In total, Monet created fifty paintings in one format. The first of them was painted by the artist in a hotel room located opposite the cathedral. On his next visit to Rouen, Monet worked in a store window whose windows overlooked the square in front of the temple. Returning a year later, the artist rented a factory workshop for his studio with a magnificent view of the Rouen Cathedral.

Monet tried to notice and capture on canvas subtle changes in the light environment depending on the time of day and weather conditions. Every half hour, he carefully recorded fluctuations in color shades, thus achieving a gradual transformation of the appearance of the cathedral in the rays of sunlight.

Curiosities of the Cathedral

Claude Monet was not the only one who was inspired by Rouen Cathedral. Interesting facts are also associated with the name of the French writer Gustave Flaubert. As a native of Rouen, he was no doubt well acquainted with the main temple of the city. In particular, a stained glass window dedicated to the story of St. Julian the Hospitaller inspired Flaubert to write one of his “Three Tales.”

Observing the installation of an iron spire over the central cross of the cathedral, Flaubert sarcastically described such an architectural solution as the whim of an enraged steam boiler manufacturer. Nevertheless, the spire branded by the writer brought Rouen Cathedral the glory of the tallest building in the world in 1876-1880.

Returning to Monet, we note that he destroyed some of his paintings with views of the Rouen Cathedral, and approximately 30 of the remaining ones were presented to the public in 1895. Monet sold some of them for 3-5 thousand francs, and not so long ago one painting from the famous cycle was has already been sold for $24 million.

Cultural heritage of the country

Rouen Cathedral is located in the historical center of the city, surrounded by well-preserved medieval, baroque and half-timbered houses. To appreciate the restrained beauty of Gothic architecture and feel the spirit of the distant Middle Ages, a leisurely inspection of the main temple of the city is required.

Rouen (France) spends a considerable part of the city budget on maintaining its historical attractions, in particular on the restoration of the cathedral, declared a cultural heritage of the country.

Rouen Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, Cathedral of Our Lady of Rouen) is the tallest cathedral in France, one of the four tallest church buildings in the world (height 151 meters), and has the tallest cast-iron tower in the world. For four years until 1880 it was the tallest building in the world, losing primacy to Cologne Cathedral.

314 - the first mention of the cathedral. Subsequently, the church complex was completely destroyed during a Viking raid. At the beginning of the 11th century, construction of a new cathedral in the Romanesque style began. In the modern Romanesque style cathedral, only the crypt remains. In the 12th centuries, Romanesque architecture was replaced by new technologies of construction and design, known as Gothic. And the entire above-ground part of the cathedral collected features of all stages of the development of Norman Gothic. By the way, the birthplace of Gothic art is the north of France, where the capital of Normandy, the city of Rouen, is located.

2. General view of the cathedral.

3. View from the Seine.

4. The spiers of the cathedral towers.

5. View from the south portal.

8.. The Saint-Romain Tower (north tower) is the oldest part of the cathedral. The construction dates back to 1145. Its first levels are made in the early Gothic style, while the last level and the roof that crowns it are made in the Flamboyant Gothic style.

9. During the Second World War, despite the heroic defense, Rouen was occupied by German troops from June 9, 1940 to August 30, 1944. During the defense in June 1940, a large fire broke out in Rouen, destroying the entire historical quarter between the cathedral and the Seine. The city suffered other major damage during the Allied bombing of Normandy from 1942 to 1944, when the bridges over the Seine and the marshalling yard at Sotteville-le-Rouen were targeted. The two air raids that caused the most casualties occurred on April 19, 1944, when RAF air strikes killed 816 civilians and injured 20,000 Rouenese. Also during these air raids, the Rouen Cathedral was significantly damaged.

10. Later, from May 30 to June 5, 1944, Rouen was bombed by the Americans, and this week went down in history as the “Red Week”; As a result of this bombing in Rouen, the cathedral and the adjacent historical quarter burned again. The northern tower completely burned down on June 1, 1944 after bombing, only the walls remained from the original building.

11. The facade of Rouen Cathedral still preserves the memory of the tragic days of the Second World War.

14. After the war, the city center was restored and reconstructed over the course of 15 years according to the design of the French architect Jacques Grebe.

15. The south tower (Oil Tower) appeared in 1485. It was built with the money of people who consumed butter during Lent, and then donated funds for the sake of indulgence (atonement for sins).

16. Work on the construction of the spire was completed in 1877. This is the tallest cathedral spire in France.

17. Before this there was a more modest wooden spire, but it burned down.

20. South portal. One of the richest decors in the complex.

23. View of the Church of Saint-Maclou.

Interior of Rouen Cathedral

24. In the choir are the graves of the first dukes of Normandy, including King Richard the Lionheart, who bequeathed to bury his heart in this cathedral “in memory of his love for Normandy.”

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Or Notre Dame Cathedral of Rouen- Cathedral of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy. This magnificent Gothic cathedral is a national heritage site of France.

At the end of the 4th century, a Christian basilica was built on the site of the modern cathedral. In 841, it was destroyed during a Viking raid. Around 1020, construction began on a new cathedral in Romanesque style. All that remains of it now is the crypt. Later, the construction of the cathedral in the Gothic style began.

The oldest part of Rouen Cathedral is the north tower of Saint-Romain, built in 1145. The tower was heavily 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 a complex shape is called flaming gothic. Both towers have little in common in terms of appearance. The south tower has a more yellow color. For some reason, it was built not from local limestone, but from yellower stone, which was brought all the way from Wales. The tower was nicknamed Maslyana for its yellower color.

The nave was built in 1200 when the existing Romanesque nave collapsed due to fire. The central spire was added later than others in the mid-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 losing this title to Cologne Cathedral. The spire weighs 1200 tons and is still considered the tallest in all of France.

The tower and spire are located approximately 70 meters inland from the façade and are located directly above the spatial center point of the cathedral. The ceiling height here is 51 meters, which is comparable to the size of a 20-story building.

The cathedral is famous for its stained glass windows. Some of the cathedral's windows are still decorated with stained glass from the 13th century, made famous by a specific blue color known as Chartres blue. Since the 13th century, Norman stained glass was considered perhaps the best in Europe.

All parts of the structure were repeatedly restored and rebuilt, restored after fires, hurricanes and bombings of the twentieth century.

In the Rouen Cathedral there is an authentic sarcophagus in which the heart of the 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 Alienor of Aquitaine, who survived him. According to his will, Richard the Lionheart was buried in three places: his body in the province of Anjou, his brain in Poitou, and his heart in a sarcophagus in Rouen Cathedral.

Richard's heart was originally contained 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 the great warrior, scientists found only a handful of dust.

They did not put the box back into the sarcophagus. It is kept somewhere in the service premises of the cathedral. So the Rouen tomb of Richard the Lionheart is empty.

On the grounds of Rouen Cathedral there is also the tomb of Rollon (Hrolf the Pedestrian or Robert I), one of the followers of Richard, the first ruler of Normandy.

Rouen Cathedral is depicted in 47 sketches and more than 30 paintings Claude Monet. The cathedral is depicted in different lighting conditions. The artist worked on his series in secret for two years. Now these works of his are scattered all over the world.