So my wonderful cousin Zee has two friends that she met in Ireland who are French... originally from Rouen. They moved to Ireland for a year to begin their 'round the world' trip... they went to countries such as Thailand, Japan, India, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and the list goes on.... so while they were in Ireland, they had the honour of being neighbours with Zee. They have since moved back to Rouen, France where I had the honour of meeting them! Such nice people... they met me at the train station and we began our visit by walking through the streets of Rouen... you know, the tourist thing to do!!!
Rouen (French pronunciation: [ʁwɑ̃]) is the historic capital city of Normandy, in northern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) region. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the eleventh century to the 15th century. It was in Rouen where Joan of Arc was burnt in 1431. People from Rouen are called Rouennais.
The population of the metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 518,316 inhabitants and 532,559 inhabitants at the 2007 estimate. The city proper has an estimated population of 110,276 in 2007.
One thing this town is known for is that it is where Joan of Arc was murdered.
Saint Joan of Arc or The Maid of Orléans (French: Jeanne d'Arc,[1] IPA: [ʒan daʁk]; ca. 1412[2] – 30 May 1431) is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII. She was captured by the Burgundians, sold to the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old.[3] Twenty-four years later, on the initiative of Charles VII, Pope Callixtus III reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr.[3] She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.[2] She is, along with St. Denis, St. Martin of Tours, St. Louis IX, and St. Theresa of Lisieux, one of the patron saints of France.
Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to Charles VII's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.
Joan of Arc has remained an important figure in Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare (Henry VI, Part 1), Voltaire (La Pucelle d'Orléans), Schiller (Die Jungfrau von Orléans ), Verdi (Giovanna d'Arco), Tchaikovsky (Орлеанская дева), Mark Twain (Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc), Jean Anouilh (L'Alouette), Bertolt Brecht (Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe), George Bernard Shaw (Saint Joan), and Maxwell Anderson (Joan of Lorraine). Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance.
Execution
Heresy was a capital crime only for a repeat offence. Joan agreed to wear women's clothes when she abjured. A few days later she may have been raped in prison.[49] She resumed male attire either as a defence against molestation or, in the testimony of Jean Massieu, because her dress had been stolen and she was left with nothing else to wear.[50]
Eyewitnesses described the scene of the execution by burning on 30 May 1431. Tied to a tall pillar in the Vieux-Marche in Rouen, she asked two of the clergy, Fr Martin Ladvenu and Fr Isambart de la Pierre, to hold a crucifix before her. A peasant also constructed a small cross which she put in the front of her dress. After she expired, the English raked back the coals to expose her charred body so that no one could claim she had escaped alive, then burned the body twice more to reduce it to ashes and prevent any collection of relics. They cast her remains into the Seine.[51] The executioner, Geoffroy Therage, later stated that he "...greatly feared to be damned."[52]
This is NOT an optical illusion... the buildings are so old that they're slanting like that.... and people still live in them!!!!
Rouen is also really well known for it's Notre Dame Cathedral.... SOOO beautiful!!!Rouen Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen) is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy.History
Plan of the cathedralA church was already present at the location in late 4th century, and eventually a cathedral was established. All the buildings perished during a Viking raid in the 9th century, however; the current building was started in the 12th century:
- Early gothic: Saint Romain's tower (12th century), side porches of the front, a part of the nave.
- High gothic: mainworks: nave, transept, choir, first floor of the lantern tower (13th century), side chapels, lady's chapel, side doorways (14th century). Some windows are still decorated with stained glass of the 13th century, famous because of a special cobalt blue colour, known as "the blue from Chartres".
- Late gothic (flamboyant): last storey of Saint Romain's tower (15th century), butter tower, main porch of the front, two storeys of the lantern tower (16th century).[1]
The Butter Tower was erected in the early 16th century. Butter was banned during Lent and those who did not wish to forgo this indulgence would donate monies of six deniers Tournois from each diocesan for this permission.[2]
In late 16th century the cathedral was badly damaged during the French Wars of Religion: the Calvinists damaged much of the furniture, tombs, stained-glass windows and statuary. In the 18th century the state nationalized the building and sold some of its furniture and statues to make money. The chapel fences were melted down to make guns.
Rouen Cathedral was the tallest building (the lantern tower with the cast iron spire of the 19th century) in the world (151 m) from 1876 to 1880. In the 20th century, during World War II, the cathedral was bombed in April 1944. Seven bombs fell on the building, narrowly missing destroying a key pillar of the lantern tower, but damaging much of the south aisle and destroying two rose windows. One of the bombs did not explode. A second bombing (before the D-day landings in June 1944) burned the oldest tower, called the North Tower. During the fire the bells melted, leaving molten remains on the floor.
We explored the city a little further, and then went back to their awesome apartment and they made me a BEAUTIFUL French dinner..... In order:
Fresh mushroom caps stuffed with Boursin
Fresh tomatoes stuffed with a tuna / mayo concoction
Delicious pasta with salmon and leek cream sauce.... the cream coming from the Normandie region :)
Fresh baguette
Cheese and bread
Yogurt and fresh fruit
MMMmmmmm... my stomach is growling just thinking about it!
They were gracious to let me stay the night and the next morning I explored the town on my own! Saw some more sights!!!
This is a typical French sport called "Les Boules" ...Boule Lyonnaise ( 'Sport-boules' or 'Le jeu Lyonnais' ) is a popular French form of bowls, and may be the oldest of the French Boules sports.
In Italy, the sport Bocce, or Volo (English: flight), which is played with bronze boules, follows the same set of rules as Lyonnaise[1].
History
The current version of the game developed during the 18th century around the area of Lyon (as its name suggests).
Then in 1906, the Fédération Lyonnaise et Régionale formed, which led to La Fédération Nationale des Boules in 1933 which then became the Fédération Française de Boules in 1942.
The Grounds and equipment
Under official rules, the ground must measure 27.5 m in length and between 2.5 m to 4 m in width, with a clear play area of 12.5 m and 7.5 m at each end (one end is the Landing zone, and the other is where the players stand and throw).
When the 'Jack' is thrown, it must land at least 12.5 m away from the player.
The boules vary in size, weight, and composition, usually to accommodate the player's comfort, but tend to be made of bronze (with the jack being wooden) and are usually between 90 mm and 110 mm in diameter and weigh between 900 g and 1,200 g[2] , however, they must be properly centrally balanced. Each player has 4 boules when playing as singles, or three boules per player in doubles play.
Rules
The basic rules are similar to the game of Pétanque Marseillaise, in that the aim is to throw your boules as close to the jack as possible, and keep them there.
The town is also known for it's pointed arches... I think it has the most pointed arches in all of France. I wish I got a picture of the city from a mountain top really depicting this.... let me google it............Well I found this! It's Monet's View of Rouen
At the end of the day, I visited a beautiful market in the main square, bought some beautiful french plates, stinky goat cheese, olives, fresh baguette, and a bag of cherries for a picnic chez-moi.So French of me... I know :)
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