Rouen ... Endless Medieval Buildings

A cold and wet day did not prevent us from 5 foot hours of wandering around the old city centre of Rouen.

We started with Rouen cathedral and spent a wowing few hours oogling and oohing at the building both inside and out. While the light level is quite low inside it does not detract from the amazing architectural structure. The space is magnificent. It took several visits during the day between rain showers to get a full impression of the outside of the cathedral.

Walking some of the small streets brought us to Aitre Saint-Maclou which is the central courtyard of a house. The space was used during the Great Plague of 1348 as a necropolis. The carvings on the wooden structure are decorated with motifs that evoke death. The buildings are now the Regional School of Fine Arts. This has to be the best example of a medieval courtyard we've seen to date.

After a quick lunch we moved on to Saint-Ouen Abbey Church. This was a Benedictine monastery during the 14th and 16th C. The present city hall abuts the church and is built on the former monks' dormitory and cloisters. The building is very well lit by 80 stained glass windows and the height of the nave is almost too much for the neck to cope with! The height has the effect of creating a really impressive building inside. Outside the flying buttresses emphasize the height of the nave.

No matter where you roam the are medieval buildings and, most important, they are in use today.

An excellent day! Monoprix for dinner and rest ...