Rouen cathedral is described as a gothic marvel whose location is in northwestern France. Currently, this seat belonging to the bishop is a key tourist attraction.
It is recognized for its architecture’s sheer power, that of the awe-inspiring lantern tower, and the Romansque crypt. At one point, this construction was the tallest globally, and that was from 1876-1880.
The consecration of this cathedral was in 1063, and up to date, it is a crucial part of the country’s history, even after being destroyed by fire in 1200. As a result, the cathedral was reconstructed in the 13th century.
Today, the height of the imposing steeple is 250 ft and there is no other annex that is as popular as this one. The cathedral’s right hand wing was reconstructed across two centuries, and is called the Butter tower, or Tour de Beurre.
The construction was done from 15th to 17th century, and the funding was through donations that were made by wealth citizens. According to research, these citizens made the donations so that they could be allowed to consume butter during lent.
This cathedral features numerous spires, annexes, and towers, which were additions to the central body, and this was done for years. Constructions that were done later were according to the Gothic architecture.
Rouen cathedral, France
This made the final construction to be a total 13th century Gothic masterpiece. In 1944 during WW II, it survived the bombing. It has also managed to withstand a number of direct impacts on the outer façade. The tomb belonging to Richard who was the Lionheart, and Chartre’s stained glass windows are the cathedral’s key tourist attractions.
According to people believe, Richard has a hero’s encased heart. An Effigy belonging to Richard crowns the tomb, and the etch ding of his name is in Latin.
Rouen Cathedral is also the home to a tomb belonging to an ancestor of Richard’s called Rollo. He is believed to have founded the Viking principality and today, the world refers to it as Normandy.
For many paintings, the Rouen cathedral is the main subject. They believe is that it offers fresh appeal at different times during the day. Some painters like Gustave Flaubert, Claude Monet, and Roy Lichtenstein have immortalized this cathedral in Washington DC, at the National art Gallery.
This has also been done in Los Angeles’s Getty centre, and at Serbia’s national Museum in Belgrade. The paintings have also made the city to be nicknamed. Many of the edifies are churches and it has melted a pot for use by Christians regardless of the part of the world that they belong to.
The 56 bells and the lacey stonework in the Tour Lanterne are the ones that give the structure a class that is apart.
The 13th century choir identifies with 14 souring pillars, and arcades. Every choir stall features misericords that are carved and they highlight depictions with regard to routine activities as well as exquisite entries whose source is the animal kingdom. The interior highlights include many depictions of celestial beings, and crucifixion.
Related: Where to go when you visit France
Photo by barnyz