ROUEN CATHEDRAL IS MAGNIFICENT
3rd May 2018:
ROUEN CATHEDRAL IS MAGNIFICENT
Rouen cathedral is world famous. Everyone who passes through Rouen makes sure to at least see its very elaborate frontage, painted so many times by the well-known and loved Impressionist Claude Monet. We decided that such a World Heritage sight deserves not just a post all to itself – but the First Mention in Rouen…
ROUEN CATHEDRAL DESERVES FIRST MENTION:
The details of our stay in Rouen, like our hotel and other discoveries, are described in the post following. So I have jumped forward to our first port of call on our first morning in this celebrated historical city.
MAGNIFICENT ROUEN CATHEDRAL – PHOTO-SHOTS
After Graham had taken numerous photos of the well-known Cathedral frontage, he turned his attention to buildings in the immediate area.
Sadly, the very lovely old apothecary’s building (now the Tourist Information Centre) did not make a good photograph at all – its best features did not show up when we finally had a good look back home.
MAGNIFICENT ROUEN CATHEDRAL’S VAST INTERIOR
To my secret relief, we finally entered through a side door into the echoing cathedral. So long and high are the aisles, that one is almost overwhelmed by the plethora of soaring arches – impossibly high. Craning my neck, I could see that each supported a vaulted roof, and collectively they fronted many a side-chapel.
What really impressed me were the lines of saints along some of the walls (see Feature Photo). They were all rescued from the exterior (probably the so-elaborate front entrance, which is impossible to take in all at once). Some were very worn indeed, while others were easily recognisable – certainly by Catholics, whom I imagine will know their canon of saints quite well by the symbols they carry.
ROUEN CATHEDRAL RETAINS MUCH OLD STAINED GLASS
There were a few very old stained glass windows, and one lovely Rose Window. What impressed us both were the high, mainly blue windows of great intricacy that formed a semi-circle behind the freestanding altar at the far end from the main door.
WE FIND ROUEN CATHEDRAL’S ‘WOW’ FEATURE:
But even they were superseded when, moving to leave by the front entrance, we glanced down a side aisle towards the reredos and both let out an ‘Ooohhh’. We simultaneously spotted a most delicate small stairway of stone lace. It seems almost unique in its intricacy, and pretty coloured stone. Graham took many photographs of this early masterpiece.
Text by – Jackie Usher, SWWJ. (aka author Debbie Darkin, & ‘Graham Liverpool’ on Trip Advisor.)
Photographs by – Graham Usher.
