This crossing of France is fairly straightforward, in the image of Colomban, who sought to withdraw quickly as a hermit as far inland as possible. The first part (1/3) consists of 18 stages averaging 24km per day:
Saint-Malo - Saint-Coulomb
Saint-Coulomb - le Vivier-sur-Mer
Le Vivier-sur-Mer - Mont-St-Michel
Le Mont-St-Michel - Avranches
Avranches - Petit Celland
Petit Celland - St Pois
St Pois - Vire
Vire-Vassy
Vassy - Pont d'Ouilly
Ouilly Bridge - Falaise
Cliff - St Pierre-sur-Dives
St Pierre-sur-Dives - Lisieux
Lisieux - Cormeilles
Cormeilles - Pont-Audemer
Pont-Audemer - Our Lady of Gravenchon
Notre Dame de Gravenchon - St Wandrille
St Wandrille - Duclair
Duclair - Rouen

Our Lady of the Great Gate
The Grande Porte is one of the old main entrances to the fortified town of St Malo. It is also known as the Porte Notre-Dame. A copy of a statue of the Virgin and Child is located in a niche above the gate.The original was moved to St Malo Cathedral in 2003. The statue, made of painted limestone, dates from the 15th or 17th century. Its origin is unknown. Beheaded during the French Revolution, it was blown up by a shell during the liberation of St Malo in June 1944.Many people in St Malo consider her to be the town's protector.

The forts of St Malo Bay
The bay of St Malo has many rocks and islets. While these reduced access to the port to a few passes, they also provided hiding places for enemy ships (English and Dutch). Vauban ensured the city's protection by building several forts at sea, which could be used to close off the passes with their crossfire. St Malo was never taken. The La Conchée fort, located 3.7km from the coast, is the most impressive of these. Fort National is located on the Islet rock, accessible at low tide in front of the ramparts. Originally called Fort Royal and then Fort Impérial, it was built in 1689 by Siméon Garangeau to Vauban's plans. It is open to the public (when the flag is raised).To find out more

Sculpted Rocks of Rothéneuf
In 1894, having become deaf, Abbé Fouré had to leave his post as rector and retire to Rothéneuf.For thirteen years, he sculpted more than 300 bas-reliefs in the rocks overlooking the sea. Paralysis forced him to stop his work.These sculptures were subjected to the sea spray and the assaults of the sea. They are deteriorating rapidly. An association is trying to save them. You have to pay to enter the site via the restaurant, but you can get there from the beach (the site is located on maritime land).A little further on, the little chapel of ND des Flots overlooks the sea.

Church of Rothéneuf - Stained glass window of St Colomban
Stained glass window visible from the gallery. Signed by Jean Clamens of Angers in 1897 (the gallery is accessible from the back of the church).

Lupin Tide Mill
At the end of the Lupin cove (the name of the part of the cove in the commune of St Coulomb - the part in St Malo is called the "Havre de Rothéneuf"), you can make out the ruins of an old tide mill, one of the few in the region not to be found on the Rance. Mentioned in documents dating back to 1180, it could be one of the oldest in Brittany. It is the forerunner of the hydroelectric dam on the Rance.The landscape of this cove is highly variable: at high tide, it presents a magnificent sheltered stretch of water; at low tide, only a trickle of water crosses it. It is a haven for birds.

Roz Ven
Villa Roz Ven is tucked away in the dune above La Touesse beach.In 1910, it was acquired by Colette and her friend. The writer lived there until 1924. She wrote several novels here, including "Le blé en Herbe".

Cross St Colomban de l'anse du Guesclin
Inaugurated by Loïc Levillain, Mayor of St Coulomb, and blessed by Monseigneur D'Ornellas, Archbishop of Rennes, on 20 July 2019 during the pardon, this new monument replaces the crosses dating from 1892 and 1987.The monument, created by the Association des Amis Bretons de Colomban, recalls the arrival of St Colomban on this beach in 590. It recalls the monk's journey through Europe, from his native Ireland to his death in Bobbio, Italy.To find out more

Malouinière de la Ville Bague
The malouinières are country residences built by privateers and shipowners from Saint Malo at the end of the 17th century.They are located less than 2 hours' ride from St Malo and many were built by Garangeau, a pupil of Vauban. There are more than twenty in the commune of St Coulomb.The panoramic wallpaper in the living room, dating from 1820 and depicting Pizarre's arrival among the Incas, is a listed historic monument (manufactured by Dufour et Leroy).The park also includes a dovecote and a semi-enclosed chapel dedicated to St Sophia.To find out more

St Coulomb's Church
In the church you can seea monochrome wooden statue of St Colomban. It predates 1820 (previous church). The base of this statue contains two relics of St Columban, one of which was presented to Father Michel, the parish priest of St Coulomb, by Monsignor Ambrioso, Bishop of Bobbio, in July 2017, on the occasion of Columban's Day 2017 in Pianello Val Tidone.the curragh: displayed in front of the gallery, it is used during the pardon procession and was made by a member of the association "Les Amis Bretons de Colomban" in 2015. The curragh is the ship used by the monks to travel between Ireland and the continent.the banner: recently made, it evokes the arrival of St ColombanThe wooden bas-relief at the foot of the altar: This depicts the arrival of St Columban on the beach, awaited by the local people. It was made in 1953the stained glass window of St Colomban in the choir, made in 1868 by the master stained glass artist Ernest Steizi.At the end of the village in the direction of Cancale: statue of St Colomban dating from 2000 and donated by Martine Latimier and Bertram Wawera.

Duchess Anne's Dyke
The Digue de la Duchesse Anne is a dyke built on the ancient barrier beaches that separated the bay from the marshes of Dol de Bretagne. It stretches for around thirty kilometres as far as Ste Anne's chapel.Construction probably began in the 11th century and continued over the following centuries, transforming the marshes into polders.A comparison of the ground levels on the bay side and the polder side confirms that the bay has silted up.

Mussel Port of Le Vivier and Bay House
The port of Le Vivier is a major mussel-farming centre. The bouchots (rows of wooden stakes planted in the bay on which the mussels are hung) are harvested using amphibious equipment.The Maison de la Baie, located on the harbour, offers exhibitions on the bay and mussel cultivation. It also offers discovery walks in the bay.To find out more

Ste Anne's Chapel
Ste Anne's chapel is thought to date from the construction of the dyke. It was destroyed by a flood in 1630 and rebuilt in 1684.A pardon is held here in July.It marks the end of the Duchesse Anne dike and the beginning of the western polders.

West Polder
On 21 July 1856, Napoleon III signed a 99-year concession with the Compagnie des Polder de l'Ouest for the creation and operation of new polders.The 3,000 hectares of polders were created by gradual dyking, mainly in the area where the Couesnon River had dived. The last flood dates back to February 1869.

Dam on the Couesnon
This dam on the Couesnon is the central element in the series of works carried out to restore the Mont's maritime character. At mid-rising tide, it lets the water in through the gates to prevent sediment from entering the river. At half-tide ebb, it allows the Couesnon to empty into the bay through the bottom of the sluice gates, creating a "flushing" effect that moves sediment away from the Mont. To increase the volume of water involved, the Couesnon and the Moidrey cove were dredged.A number of symbols can be seen on the promenade bridge at this dam:- in reference to the scriptorium, the bronze desk on the railing is engraved with letters from the four alphabets (Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic),- The bronze access doors to the piers are marked using the four numbering systems above.- An extract from a 12th-century manuscript dedicated to astronomy is engraved in the centre of the lectern.- The Couesnon forms the border between Brittany and Normandy. This is why the coats of arms of the two regions are engraved at each end. You can also see mouldings of shells from the bay (scallops, coquilles St Jacques or white cockles), symbols of the pilgrimages that converged on the Mont.

German Ossuary of the Mont d'Huisne
Located opposite Mont St Michel, near Avranches, where, on 30 June 1944, the Allies made a decisive breakthrough in the German defence following the Normandy landings, this mausoleum was built between 1961 and 1963 on a hill some thirty metres high. It contains the bodies of 1,956 German soldiers from the Grand Ouest and the Channel Islands. It is a ring-shaped, buried building with an internal diameter of 47 metres. It has 68 crypts on two levels, each containing 180 bodies. A large cross stands at its centre.

The Roche Torin dam
In 1857, plans were made to build a dike from the Pointe de la Roche Torin to the Mont St Michel in order to create new polders. It was never completed. Blocking the sediments, the part that had been built led to the extension of the grasslands. Several studies have shown the disastrous consequences for the maritime character of the Mont.Its destruction began in 1983, marking the start of work on the bay.

Pontaubault
Before arriving in Pontaubault, you can see a small oratory in the cliff.Pontaubault is located at the mouth of the Sélune and was one of the first crossing points between Normandy and Brittany.The various metal bridges were used for railway lines, one of which is now abandoned and converted into a greenway.The first stone bridge was built in the 15th century, close to a Roman road. In 1793, it saw fighting between Chouans and Bleus. On 1 and 2 August 1944, it saw the passage of Patton's army.

Avranches
Avranches was originally the capital of the Abrincates, and in the 5th century became the seat of a bishopric. Its most famous bishop in the 10th century was Aubert, who founded Mont St Michel.In July 1954, the Scriptorial, the museum of the manuscripts of Mont St Michel, was inaugurated.To find out more

Scriptorial d’Avranches
The Scriptorial d'Avranches, or Musée des Manuscrits du Mont, opened its doors in 2006. It presents various manuscripts copied and illuminated on the Mount between the 10th and 12th centuries. It also presents various pieces found during archaeological research.

Oppidum du Chatelier
This Gallic oppidum on the territory of the Abrincates covers some twenty hectares. It is situated at an altitude of 170 metres on a ridge overlooking the Sée valley by 80 metres. The Abricantes tribe gave its name to the city of Avranches.To find out more

The Three Crosses
Originally made of wood (in 1814) and then granite, these three crosses from 1899 were erected in honour of victims between the Chouans and the Republicans: (two refractory priests for the first cross, Victor-Philippe de Cantilly killed on 2 May 1796 for the second and Gabriel-Fleury Desfeux and Louis-George de Gouvetz for the third).

Le Petit-Celland
The church was built in the 10th century. It was almost entirely rebuilt after the bishop visited in 1749 and judged it to be in a poor state of repair, leaving only the base of the bell tower and a keystone bearing the date 1607. It was enlarged in the 19th century and the spire built in 1901. It houses a number of objects listed as historic monuments.https://www.wikimanche.fr/Le_Petit-Celland

Signy Chapel
The Signy chapel, located a short distance from the Manoir, was built in 1620 by Françoise de Signy, the local lady. It is a place of pilgrimage to Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, Mater Dolorosa. In the past, it had several chaplains, but they were not obliged to remain in residence. The main façade, a comb bell tower, has two levels of elevation: the first has a low-arched doorway and the second is blind. The chapel has no other openings.

Cuves
Cuves was the scene of tank battles during the Avranches breakthrough from 3 to 10 August 1944.St Pierre's church, with its bell-tower roof, dates from the first half of the 18th century. There are several crosses on the surrounding wall, including a bubonic cross in front of which the faithful used to pray against the plague.To find out more

James Cross
Formerly located next to the now-defunct chapel of St Jacques, it was moved near this bridge in 1823.

Church of St-Pois
Returning from Hastings in 1066, Richard Le Servin had the old church built and dedicated to St Patern, Bishop of Avranches. The present church dates from 1880 and is dedicated to St Louis. The two bells were in a temporary belfry. After one of the bells fell in 1909, it was decided to install them in the tower, to which a spire was added. When the local granite quarry refused to supply the stone at the price quoted, the tower was built using granite from Louvigné-du-Désert.On leaving the village, at the top of the hill on the road to St Michel, in the corner of a field on your right, the Montjoie cross marks the spot from which pilgrims could see Mont-St-Michel.

Granite Museum: St-Michel-de-Montjoie
This museum, set outside in a park, traces the history of the "Bleu de Vire" granite extraction sites. You can see a reconstructed quarry, the extraction methods used and the tools used. You can also see various sculpted pieces and how they were used.

Oratoire des Nouettes
This chapel was erected in memory of Pierre Lesage, known as "Les Nouettes" after the village where he was born in 1772. Returning to his village after a stay in Paris between 1789 and 1791, he went to church and, without knowing it, served mass to a priest under oath. Wanting to make amends, he devoted the rest of his life to serving refractory priests and organised a network of confessors. A pardon is held every Ascension Thursday.

The post of Quintaine
In the Middle Ages, the Quintaine referred to the post topped by a dummy on which knights practised handling their lance. It later became a feudal fee.Dismantled during the Revolution and moved, this piece of granite, with its old-fashioned shield, symbolises the lord's right.At the end of the 18th century, it was used to mark water rights, divert floods or create a reservoir during periods of low water.The entire structure (posts, weirs, spillways, cofferdams and sluice gates) formed a system for distributing the waters of the Dathée.When the dam is emptied, fish can be retained and transferred to other water bodies.

Dungeon of Vire
In 1123, the Duke of Normandy, Henry I Beauclerc, had a square keep built on a spur, in a meander of the River Vire, with a first enclosure. In the 13th century, Saint Louis completed this defence with outer ramparts. For fear of Huguenot rebellions, Richelieu had the castle and its walls dismantled. All that remains today are the remains of the keep, the bases of some of the towers in the castle square and a few towers in the town, such as the clock tower.

Notre-Dame Church
The Gothic-style church of Notre Dame was built between the 13th and 16th centuries on the site of a Romanesque sanctuary by Henry I Beauclerc, Duke of Normandy (who also built the château).It was listed as a Historic Monument in 1862.It was badly damaged in 1944.

St Thomas Beckett Church
The oldest church in Vire was built around 950. Altered and disused several times, it was damaged in 1944 and left as it was. All that remains is the 12th and 18th century porch.

Panorama of Houlles
The route passes over a high point offering a beautiful panorama of the Normandy bocage... when the weather is not cloudy.

Notre Dame de la Sallette
Near the village of La Vautrie, a small granite monument dedicated to Notre Dame de la Salette.

Vassy Castle
The building you see on the side of the road is not Vassy castle. There's no point looking for it, you won't see it. The 17th-century château was demolished voluntarily by its owner in 1952.

Courval Commandery
The Commandery of the Knights Templar at Courval was founded around 1150 by the de Vassy family, then transferred in 1307 to the Hospitaller Brothers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem (later the Order of Malta), who retained it until the French Revolution. The chapel has a Romanesque choir, an early 13th-century nave and a 15th or 16th-century roof frame. The chapel was used as a barn until 1991, but has retained its 15th or 16th century wall paintings. The manor house was rebuilt in the 15th century following its destruction during the Hundred Years' War.

St-Martin-des-champs
Known as St Martin du Vieux Méré, this chapel dates back to the 15th century and has been extensively altered. It corresponds to a very ancient place of worship, which could be the original site of the parish of Méré. Sarcophagi have been discovered in the surrounding cemetery.The statue of St Martin, located in a small oratory outside the chapel, bears witness to the ongoing veneration of pilgrims.Magnificent views over the Noireau valley.

St-Roch Chapel
The chapel dates back to the 16th century and was built following a plague epidemic. In a state of disrepair, it was restored in 1932. In 1933, Maurice le Scouëzec, a native of Lorient, created eight frescoes depicting the life of St Roch. These frescoes were restored in 1984 by Marek Sobczyk, then in 2003 by Jean Bonavita.To find out more

Pont-d’Ouilly
Located in the heart of the Suisse Normande region and at the confluence of the Noireau and Orne rivers, Pont-d'Ouilly has been one of the few crossing points of the Orne on the road from Paris and Rouen to Brittany since the 12th century. Unfortunately, the 1944 bombing raids to destroy the bridge caused extensive damage, and the region was declared a disaster area.

Martigny-sur-l’Ante
First of all, the place known as "La Croix", where a cross is located on the side of the road. It dates back to 1603 and was restored in 1862 according to the markings on its base.Then, at the place known as "l'église", there is a château, a presbytery and a recently restored chapel. The Gothic-style chapel dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St Martin de Tours. Inside, an 18th-century altar and altarpiece from the Hôtel-Dieu in Falaise, listed as a Historic Monument in 1976, were installed in 1924.

Noron l’Abbaye
The priory of St Pierre was built in 1072 by the local lord Guillaume Pantol, who brought with him many relics of St Nicolas (an ampulla containing a tooth and pieces of his tomb). Now privately owned, it is listed as a Historic Monument. It was damaged by bombing during the Second World War.

Falaise Castle
The clifftop castle sits on a rocky spur overlooking the Ante valley. Its oldest traces date back to the 10th century. William the Bastard, better known as William the Conqueror, was born here in 1027. He set off from Falaise to conquer England.To find out more

Sainte-Trinité de Falaise Church
The Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the shelter of the castle in 840, is the oldest parish in Falaise.The current church, which has been battered by various conflicts (the annexation of Normandy in 1204, the Hundred Years' War in 1477 and the Second World War), was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The ambulatory is unusual in that it is elevated. This is due to the fact that it spans a street.

L’Hôtel-Dieu in Falaise
The first hospital to be created in the walled city, it complements the Saint-Michel hospital founded outside the ramparts in 1127. Its position did not guarantee patients the safety required during sieges or wars. In the 18th century, the building was rebuilt and the old ward, covered with ribbed vaults supported by columns, was converted into a chapel.During the 1944 bombardments, the Hôtel Dieu suffered considerable damage, and its restoration allows us to admire the beauty of this hospital.

The ramparts of Falaise
The Falaise ramparts are 2 kilometres long. It is not known when they were built, but repairs carried out in 2007 have enabled archaeologists to date the foundations to the 10th century.The ramparts were in place by the time William the Conqueror was born. The great keep was erected by William the Conqueror's son.Stroll along the ramparts and discover the Porte des Cordeliers (13th century), named after the friars of the Cordeliers order who settled there around 1225.

Saint-Gervais and Saint-Protais Church in Falaise
Saint-Gervais church is located in the heart of the town of Falaise. Its construction probably began shortly after the conquest of England in 1066, at the instigation of William the Conqueror, and was completed during the reign of Henry I Beauclerc (1100-1135). The dedication ceremonies to Saint Gervais and Saint Protais took place in April 1124 in the presence of the Duke-King.The original Romanesque building was inspired by the Trinity Church of the Abbaye-aux-Dames in Caen, on which it depended. Only a few elements remain in the south wall of the nave, the lantern tower and the west façade. Excavations carried out in 1953, showed that the Romanesque choir had the appearance of that of Notre-Dame de Guibray, with an apse and two apsidioles. The most interesting Romanesque remains are the capitals with secular themes, of the first four south pillars of the nave. They evoke the capitals of Ryes, Boscherville and Graville-Sainte-Honorine.The rest of the building dates from the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries with alterations in the 18th century.

Saint-Laurent Church in Falaise
From the first construction dating back to the end of the 11th century, there remains the nave with flat buttresses, with walls made of shale rubble arranged in fishbones. The facade and the portal are also of Romanesque period. Part of the flat chevet choir dates from the end of the 12th century. Queen Mathilde, very attached to the birthplace of her illustrious husband William the Conqueror, made important donations to Saint-Laurent.

Sainte-Anne-d’Entremont Church in Bernières-d'Ailly
The foundation of the chapel dates back to the middle of the 11th century on the wish of the Countess Lesceline d'Eu. It was repaired around 1744 and the bays were restored in the 19th century.The gabled western facade has a portal with a decorated archivolt, surmounted by a narrow bay. The access facade is to the south and the entrance door is framed by two thin arched windows. The bell tower-wall, in the section between the nave and the choir, shows its two bells. The building is covered with a gable roof and the cornice of the side walls is decorated with modillions.

Vendeuvre Castle
Alexandre de Vendeuvre, descendant of one of the oldest families in Normandy, descended from the Counts of Flanders, began in 1741 the construction of a "maison des champs" in keeping with the taste of the day. He called upon the famous architect Jacques-François Blondel to build his summer residence for him. The sobriety of the general architecture is compensated by the balance and harmony of the mouldings and sculptures. Blondel is attentive to the particularly refined distribution and interior decoration. Listed as a Historic Monument both inside and out, Vendeuvre is the prototype of an 18th century aristocratic Norman country house.

Romanesque Cross XIIth century in Grisy
The cross dates from the 12th century. It has been classified as a historical monument since September 26, 1903.Carved from a single block of limestone, this cross is one of the only ones still standing in Normandy with those of Feuguerolles-Bully in Calvados, Neaufles-Saint-Martin (Eure)4 and Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles (Seine-Maritime)5. The small number of remaining crosses can be explained by the fragility of their material, their age and the vandalism of the wars of religion. This 2-metre high monument is composed of a Greek cross placed on four solid columns grouped together in a bundle between which, from the front, two braided cords are inserted. The columns are crowned by capitals decorated with a few volutes. In the centre of the cross, a rosette-shaped fleuron (flower-shaped sculpture) is set within a circle decorated with saw-tooth mouldings. The branches or "wings" of the cross are bevelled and separated by modillions. They are decorated with stars.

Saint-Brice Church, in Vendeuvre-Grisy
Die Kirche befindet sich auf einem Friedhof im Herzen des Weilers, der im 12. Jahrhundert erbaut wurde. Der heutige Chor stammt aus dem XIII., das Gewölbe des Chores, der Turm und das Nordtor aus dem XV., genauer gesagt aus den Jahren 1464 und 1484 für letzteres.Das Portal der Westfassade ist das einzige romanische Überbleibsel der Kirche; es gehörte möglicherweise zu einem älteren Gebäude und wäre in die Kirche integriert worden. Der Turm wurde im 17. Jahrhundert, während der Religionskriege, befestigt.

Carel Castle
Situated on the banks of the Dives and surrounded by a moat, the Carel castle dating from the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century is built on a former residence. The buildings that surround it form an elegant classical ensemble that is reinforced by the pure lines of its dovecote dating from the 16th century.

Les Halles médiévales in Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives
11th century covered market, rebuilt in the 15th century and after 1944. These halls are part of the Norman medieval heritage. Burnt down in 1944, the building was faithfully reconstructed. The oak framework is the product of an assembly of 290,000 chestnut pegs.

Saint-Pierre Abbey in Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives
The former Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, classified as a Historic Monument, is one of the last complete abbeys in Normandy. Founded in the 11th century by the great-aunt of William the Conqueror, then devastated by a fire, the abbey church was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries and underwent modifications during the 16th and 17th centuries.In the choir of the abbey church, the 13th century pavement was restored in 2011. An exceptional element of ornamentation, it consists of glazed terracotta tiles inlaid with white motifs on a red background and vice versa, and a rose window 3 metres in diameter.Lesceline, the founder of the abbey, died in 1057. She was the great-aunt of William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy and future King of England. She was buried in the abbey church and her tomb can be found there today.

Saint-Aubin Church in Vieux-Pont-en-Auge
Probably dating from the late 10th or early 11th century, the church is one of the oldest churches in Normandy. The rubble stone walls embedded in thick mortar with horizontal chains of flat bricks bear witness to the architecture of that period. This church is one of the oldest in Normandy and is close to the group of churches of Saint-Jean-de-Livet, Saint-Martin-de-la-Lieue and Ouilly-le-Vicomte with a similar plan, a large nave and a choir with a flat chevet. The church of Vieux-Pont has, unlike the other churches, a bell tower attached to the choir on the south façade. The building was classified as a historical monument in 1862.

Saint-Julien Church in Saint-Julien-le-Faucon
The entrance to the building, built in the 19th century, is through the southern facade, which has a bell-tower-porch with a square base and four levels of elevation, mostly in fired brick. In the first register, a portal with a checkerboard vaulted archivolt gives the faithful access to the building. In the second register, three elongated bays with archivolts alternate with four columns. The third register is characterized by its blind bays with a clock in the centre. The last register has four elongated bays, two of which are blind and the other two serve as sound dampers, and the checkerboard archivolts. The tower is topped by a Fry-type bell tower.

Saint-Désir Church, in Lisieux
The original parish church, as well as the convent Notre-Dame-du-Pré which was affiliated to it, were completely destroyed by the bombings of 1944. In 1946, the rubble was cleared away, but it took another ten years before the church was rebuilt. Robert Camelot, chief architect for the reconstruction of Lisieux, was in charge of the work, which took place between 1956 and 1962. Unlike the classical churches, the architecture is considered to be one of the most remarkable achievements of the Reconstruction.

Cathedral Saint-Pierre in Lisieux
Rare monument of Lisieux, survivor of the bombings of 1944, the cathedral Saint-Pierre de Lisieux is a monument of Gothic style. If the presence of a cathedral is supposed since the 6th century, the church visible today was certainly built between 1160 and 1230.Like many Norman churches, the external decoration of the cathedral of Lisieux is sober. For example, there are no sculpted statues on the facades of the portals. Only geometrical patterns, foliage, small columns or arcatures animate the stone. Small sculpted faces are the only fantasy elements on the outside.The cathedral should not be confused with the Basilica of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, which is a 20th century basilica inspired by the Byzantine style.More information Wikipedia

Saint-Germain Church, Hermival-les-Vaux
The 19th century church of St. Germain has a simple architecture with contemporary furniture.  Three stone altars are installed there. The entrance is through a porch surmounted by the bell tower and the statue of Saint Germain is enthroned in a niche on the door. This church was rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of a 12th and 13th century Romanesque church. The 19th century church of Saint Germain has a simple architecture with contemporary furniture.

Hermival Castle
The two square checkerboard towers of pink brick and stone were built in the 16th century. They are decorated with machicolated cornices. A second campaign, in the 18th century, allowed the construction of a cut stone façade set back from the two towers. The central part of this facade has an entrance framed with bossed pilasters (slightly protruding), a two-storey window topped by a triangular pediment. Its façades have been listed as historic monuments since 1927.Today the castle is used for weddings and special events.

Sainte-Croix Church à Cormeilles
The church was built in the 12th century but has been rebuilt many times. Only the turret and the south transept crosspiece remain from this period. The half-timbered chapel of the north transept dates from the 15th century. The sacristy dates from the first half of the 19th century, the southern bays of the nave were rebuilt in 1878 as well as the west façade and the north side aisle in 1882.The church has a Latin cross plan and is oriented. It consists of two vessels: a central vessel and a northern collateral. It is divided into seven bays. Its transept is protruding. The chevet is flat but extended by an annex. The main façade with an open gable is framed by two large buttresses. The portal with two rectangular leaves is surmounted by a poly-lobed bay. The whole is decorated with pointed arch vaults. Above it are concealed pointed arch windows, surmounted by a cross on the gable top. The bell tower stands above the cross. It has a square base with a pavilion roof topped by a polygonal spire. It is flanked by a stairway turret with a hexagonal roof. The roof of the building with a double slope is made of slate.Notre-Dame de Cormeilles Abbey, founded in 1055 by Fitz Osbern, a Norman baron, was destroyed in 1778. A dovecote remains.

Saint-Martin Church à La-Chapelle-Bayvel
The church is oriented and elongated plan to single ship. The western façade is preceded by a porch before the square-shaped bell tower that crowns the nave. The chevet is flat. The entrance porch is covered with a gabled roof and houses the rectangular portal pierced in the western façade.The entrance porch is covered with a gabled roof and houses the rectangular portal in the west façade.Period the choir 13th century; nave 14th century, north chapel 16th century.

Roman road on via Columbani
The Via Columbani follows the ancient Roman Way.An ancient road leading from Lillebonne and Caudebec-en-Caux to Lisieux allowed to cross the Risle and the Seine to go to the south of Normandy.

Saint-Germain Church in Saint-Germain-Village
The church of Saint-Germain was founded in the middle of the 11th century thanks to the appropriation of the eponymous parish by the abbey of Préaux. The abbey built a Romanesque church with a nave of 6 bays, a transept, a tower and a choir flanked by absidioles.The church is located on a promontory in the centre of the commune of Saint-Germain-Village. After several transformations in the 14th and 15th centuries, the building now has a nave with three bays flanked by aisles, a transept, a tower at the crossing of the transept, a choir ending with a flat chevet.

Houses in Pont-Audemer
The city developed on a passage for crossing the Risle, a tributary of the Seine. The presence of water and pastures favoured the establishment of tanneries in the Middle Ages. The town prospered in the trade and commerce that will be at the origin of these beautiful half-timbered houses.A walk in the old town is recommended to discover the treasures of Pont-Audemer.

Saint-Ouen Church in Pont-Audemer
The early Romanesque church was built from the 11th century onwards, with work continuing until the 13th century. In 1350, the Estates General meeting in Pont-Audemer decided to replace this first building, which had become too small over the years in the eyes of the population. However, the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War prevented the start of the work, which was not effective until the end of the 15th century. The church of Saint-Ouen de Pont-Audemer is a parish church located on rue de la République, the main artery of the historic centre of the town. It is under the name of Saint Ouen, former archbishop of Rouen. Its imposing mass dominates the city; it is an unfinished building whose composite style combines Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance.Saint-Ouen, bishop of Rouen, was blessed by Saint Colomban during his stay in Ussy-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne). The Irish monks and their master stayed in the house of Authaire, a Frankish count. The count presented his sons, Adon and Dadon, to Colomban to bless them. Dadon took the name of Ouen when he was appointed Bishop of Rouen. Saint-Ouen is the patron saint of fishermen in Normandy.In 2015, restoration work begins, planned for several years and necessitated by the degradation of the stone: the building is closed to worship.

Saint-Thibaut Church in St-Mards-de-Blacarville
The church is of Romanesque origin. Its choir dates from the 13th century, and its nave was rebuilt in the 15th century. It is the church of Blacarville. That of Saint-Mards (late 12th century) was demolished in 1892. The choir and the tower were transformed into an English cottage.The building is oriented and follows an elongated plan ending with a flat chevet.The gable wall features a basket-handle portal surmounted by a statue in an arched niche with a decoration of three-lobed lancets. The chevet is pierced by two arched openings surmounted by a lobe in a pointed arch bay. It is flanked on its south side by a sacristy. The gable wall is surmounted by a bell tower with a square base topped by an octagonal corneville-type spire.

The apple in Sainte-Opportune-la-Mare
The history of the apple begins in prehistoric times in the Central Asian plateaus to arrive at the domestic apple (Malus pumila) consumed today. After the decline due to barbarian invasions, such as the Huns, paradoxically originating from the same regions as the apple, 32 varieties were created between the 8th and 15th centuries. This revival took place mainly in Normandy. Indeed, as soon as the "Viking" invasions were over, the clergy and the nobility encouraged the planting of apple trees. Thus, before its annexation by France in 1204, this country was a real apple tree nursery. After its invasion, it became the orchard of France.

The Marais-Vernier National Nature Reserve - La Grand'Mare
The Nature Reserve is a 148-hectare natural area of great ecological interest. Located in the Marais Vernier, in an old meander of the Seine, it is composed of the former National Nature Reserve of Mannevilles, owned by the State since 1973 and the Marais de Bouquelon acquired in 2002 by the Regional Nature Park of the Loops of the Norman Seine. The Park is responsible for its management. It is characterized by wet meadows that have developed on peaty environments, characterized by a very specific flora: loose-flowered orchids, drosera, marsh troscart, cirse des anglais...The site of the Reserve is conducive to nesting and hosts many migratory birds: snipe, curlew, corncrake ... The white stork present since 1993, can be observed in flight or on one of the many nests built in the marsh.It is in these places that the experience of extensive grazing by Highland cattle and then Camargue horses was born at the end of the 1970s. Chosen for their rusticity, and their lighter weight adapted to the peaty and humid soil, these hardy "brushcutters" rebalance the natural environment.

Maison normande à-Sainte-Opportune-la-Mare
The real Norman house is not just any house. It's a house made of mud, from the land of his country. A house that blends perfectly into its environment, in a harmonious plant-mineral balance, modulated over the years. It is a house of tradition that must be preserved, in its foundations and also in its spirit. For the architectural heritage is not only the illustrious castle or the listed manor house of the canton, it is also the modest house of the village, the ancestors' farm and its annex buildings... It is these peasant constructions, often of great quality, moving in their simplicity and great diversity, witnesses of rural civilisations from which we all, so to speak, come.

Notre-Dame Church de Bonport à Quillebeuf
In the Seine estuary, discover a church of Romanesque origin with its 12th century portal and porch, which was remodelled in the 16th century with a Gothic-style choir and an exceptional lantern tower. The name Notre-Dame de Bon Port evokes the maritime character of the city. It is therefore not surprising to find ex-voto and marine graffiti, as well as an admirable collection of model ships. Also worth seeing are the 15th century polychrome stained-glass windows that evoke the history of navigation on the Seine in the 18th and 19th centuries.The legend of the Telemachus: by far the most famous of the ships displayed in the church. The Télémaque sank in Quillebeuf on 3 January 1790 with, it is said, the fortune of King Louis XVI and the treasures of the abbeys of the Seine.

The Bac de Quillebeuf-sur-Seine
The Bac de Quillebeuf-sur-Seine was maintained following the construction of the Tancarville and Brotonne Bridges, thanks to the determination of the inhabitants of all the surrounding villages, who did not want to see this means of direct connection disappear.In 1873, the steam ferry replaced the old sailing ferry, thus limiting the risks of drifting due to strong currents. It is because of these drifts that we can still see today disused holds several hundred meters from the usual slipway, on each of the two shores.The Bac de Quillebeuf-sur-Seine is also accessible to pedestrians, allowing you to discover Quillebeuf-sur-Seine from a new point of view as the currents change!

Église Notre-Dame Church à Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine
The parish church of Notre-Dame was originally a chapel attached to the parish church of Saint-Georges de Gravenchon. It was built in the 12th century. It was three ships long, but the side aisles were destroyed. The spire of the tower was built in the 17th century. In the first quarter of the 19th century the choir was rebuilt, keeping the original gable. The sacristy was built from 1851 to 1852. The south aisle was erected in 1899 by Constant Martin.

Villequier Castle
The castle of Villequier (17th century) with its chapel, its 18.82 hectare listed park and a panorama 35 kilometres away is situated on the heights of Villequier. The present pink brick and stone residence was completed in 1784 on the initiative of Jean-François Jacques Asselin on the former fiefdom of Beaumesnil. The name Beaumesnil was brought from the land of Ouche by Robert d'Harcourt who married Jeanne de Villequier in the 13th century.This great lord, who was a little later at the head of the Parisian National Guard, created a superb gardener's ensemble. After several changes of ownership during the first half of the twentieth century, the castle was to revive in 1974 under the leadership of Maurice Lalonde, Caudebec-en-Caux with the transformation of the estate into a residential hotel. Until 2007, the Château de Villequier remained a hotel and a renowned venue for private and professional receptions in Normandy.

Chateau de la Guerche in Rives-sur-Seine
Built in 1627, Charles Marie de Villequier acquired the estate in 1638. In 1685, the manor house was transformed into a farm. In 1850, Léon Malfilatre, the future Mayor of Villequier, bought it along with the wood from La Roquette. He notably built a hunting lodge and a path to the Seine. Around 1875, the hunting lodge was enlarged and became the current castle of La Guerche in Anglo-Norman style. During the Second World War, V1 ramps were installed by the Germans, who occupied the estate, on a promontory not far from the castle.

La Hêtraie de Barre-y-va en Rives-de-Seine
Planted in the 19th century, the "Barre-Y-Va" beech grove is a sort of "plant canopy", where two hundred trees stand on either side of the roadway for about 500 metres. It was classified in 1937 as a natural site and monument. This old road in Rouen, which was once very busy, was also voted "most beautiful kilometre in France" in 1957 by the Automobile Club de France.

Notre-Dame Church in Caudebec-en-Caux
Historians agree that the Logium Monastery is located in the town of Caudebec-en-Caux.The monastery was built in the mid-7th century at the time of King Dagobert. It is part of a vast monastic movement in the lower Seine valley up to its estuary. During the 7th and 8th centuries, the monks followed the rule of the good fathers Benedict and Colomban spread in Gaul by their brothers of Luxeuil. An ancient plan of the town shows a layout of three churches, Saint-Martin to the north, Saint-Pierre to the south and Notre-Dame halfway between the two buildings. A layout present in Luxeuil during the presence of Colomban and his companions.The church of Notre-Dame de Caudebec-en-Caux, built on the site of an older church, is the main church of the town of Caudebec-en-Caux. King Henri IV is said to have said that it was one of the most beautiful churches in France: "It is the most beautiful chapel in my kingdom". Indeed, this manifesto of the flamboyant Gothic and early Renaissance style does not include a transept, in the same way as Saint-Maclou de Rouen, contemporary of this church, and which perhaps justifies the royal description of "chapel". Its west portal is finely sculpted and decorated with a whole host of sculptures (originally 333) representing saints, but also characters from everyday life at the time, including a loure player, which is one of the rare representations of this lost musical instrument.Unfortunately, everything was mutilated by the Calvinists during the Wars of Religion and the fires set by the bombings of June 1940 condemned the rich historical heritage of Caudebec-en-Caux.

Maison des Templiers à Caudebec-en-Caux
From the 12th century, a civil house made of local stone has come down to us, in a village in the Pays de Caux, once made up of half-timbered houses, as was common in this region at that time, which contrasts somewhat. The house of the Templars in Caudebec-en-Caux has always been a singular house since its foundation, a rare civil building of this style with ogival windows and gargoyles.It is therefore a remarkable witness to History, not only by itself, by its architectural quality; still standing despite its great age (more than 800 years old!), but also by what it contains today: a local museum exceptional in its diversity, a showcase of local life since its origins.

Monument Latham 47 in Caudebec-en-Caux
The Latham Company was an aircraft construction company founded in 1916 by Jean Latham, cousin of Hubert Latham, in Caudebec-en-Caux, on the banks of the Seine. It built seaplanes for the French Navy. Hubert Latham (Arthur Charles Hubert Latham) is a pioneer of aviation, holding a pilot's licence in 1909.In 1927 the factory is in liquidation, Félix Amiot, aircraft manufacturer in Cherbourg, buys the Latham factory in Caudebec-en-Caux. In 1928, a drama made the "Natham 47" plane famous. The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, in search of a seaplane to go to the rescue of Umberto Nobile's expedition in perdition on the ice pack in the north of Norway. The new Latham 47 seaplane has just left the Caudebec factory. It is sent on the ice pack to search for the shipwrecked. The plane disappears with its crew and explorer Roald Amundsen.The memorial commemorates the tragedy of Latham 47.

Saint-Wandrille Abbey at Saint-Wandrille-Rançon
The monastery was founded by Saint Wandrille, count of the palace of Dagobert, who acquired from Erchinoald mayor of the palace of Clovis II, the domain of Fontenelle by a deed passed on 1 May 649. Since its foundation the monastery has known important moments in its history which will give its reputation to the political, cultural and spiritual worlds of that time.It is part of a vast monastic movement in the lower Seine valley as far as its estuary. During the 7th and 8th centuries, the monks followed the rule of the good fathers Benedict and Colomban spread in Gaul by their brothers of Luxeuil. This monastic prosperity was encouraged by the Frankish aristocracy who entrusted the education of their children to monks who hoped to make them faithful servants of God.In 858 the monastery was plundered and devastated by the Normans; the monks fled with the relics to the north to the abbey of Saint-Pierre-au-Mont-Blandin in Ghent (Belgium). The monks returned to the bank of the brook, the Fontenelle, around 960. A new abbey was rebuilt downstream of the Fontenelle. In 1562 the monastery was sacked by Huguenot troops. The community adopts the reform of the congregation of Saint-Maur in 1636. The Revolution expels the monks, the buildings are sold to set up workshops for part, while a stone quarry destroys the remaining buildings. During the 19th century the whole complex suffered the ravages of time, in 1894 a community restored monastic life, but the law of 1901 forbidding religious congregations closed the abbey. It was the aircraft manufacturer Latham who bought the buildings to give them to the community in exile in 1931. Since that date a Benedictine community has been running this famous abbey.

Saint-Michel Church in Saint-Wandrille-Rançon
The parish church, dedicated to Saint Michael, is said to have been built around 735 with materials from Roman monuments in Lillebonne.In the 9th century, this building was destroyed by Vikings during their raids in the Norman countryside. The building was rebuilt in wood and then in stone in the 11th century. The bell tower is square with its faces provided with a semi-circular semicircular bay with a central column and a cubic capital spread out at the corners. The nave was rebuilt in the 16th century.

Monastery of Belcinac on an island in the Seine.
Thierry III (654-691) king of Neustrie, son of Clovis II, gave the island of Belcinac to Saint Condède, monk of the abbey of Fontenelle. The latter built a monastery there between 650 and 670. In 675, he donated the island and the monastery to the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille de Fontenelle. As with the establishment of the Abbey of Jumièges, which you will discover during your next stopover, the movement of Luxembourg monasticism will be the spiritual link between all the monastic foundations in the Seine valley. According to some historians this succession of foundations in the Seine can be interpreted as a rampart to the advance of Breton monasticism.

Saint-Pierre de Jumièges Abbey
Notre-Dame de Jumièges Abbey was founded by Saint Philibert, son of a Frankish count.It was part of the monastic foundations on the banks of the Seine during the 7th and 8th centuries. The majority of these foundations were part of the Luxovien movement during the first century of their creation. Philibert donated his lands to the Rebais monastery, north of Brie, founded by Saint Agil with the help of Saint Eustaise, successor of Saint Colomban at the head of the Luxeuil monastery. Philibert made a name for himself within his community as he was elected abbot of Rebais. He travelled to share the life of the monks of several monastic foundations in Luxeuil before stopping around 654 on an estate of the royal tax office in Jumièges to found his monastery. Like all the monasteries he visited at that time, he placed his brothers under the rule of the "good fathers Benedict and Colomban" until the Council of 818, which imposed on all the monasteries of the Carolingian Empire the rule written by Benedict of Aniane, composed of the precepts of Benedict of Nursia, Saint Colomban of Luxeuil, Saint Pacôme and Saint Basil. The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Jumièges marks the apogee of Norman monasticism in the Seine valley, preserves the largest and earliest of the great Norman abbeys, is the only one that has remained faithful to the multiplicity of sanctuaries of the very ancient Carolingian monasticism and is one of the keys to Norman Romanesque art where the articulation between Carolingian and Romanesque architecture is most visible.More information Wikipedia

Saint-Valentin Church in Jumièges.
The beautiful parish church of Jumièges, close to the abbey, was built in the 12th century and extensively rebuilt in the 16th century. The interior thus offers a curious mix of Romanesque and Renaissance elements full of charm. Its name recalls the abduction of the relics of Saint Valentine attributed to the monks of Jumièges. It contains elements of decoration and furniture from the abbey, such as the beautiful set of stained glass windows in the choir. The transept has remained unfinished. A temporary bell tower was built in the 16th century and is still visible today. The portal had been redesigned at that time. It is surmounted by a basket-handle arch.

Saint-Denis Church in Duclair
The wave of construction of abbeys also seems to have reached Ducler (medieval name of Duclair) since a division made by Saint Ouen, between Saint Philibert and Saint Wandrille, reveals the existence of a Saint-Denis abbey in Duclair in 671. This would have been destroyed by the Vikings in the 11th century. But as this is the only mention of this abbey here, it could only be an important church.On a triangular square stands the parish church dedicated to Saint Denis, bishop of Paris and martyr, which dates partly from the 11th and 12th centuries. Facing the calvary stands a pretty little Renaissance portal. The right chevet with three gables dates from the 14th century. The 15th and 16th century stained glass windows have been restored by Max Ingrand.

The banks of the Seine.
At Duclair you can cross the Seine with a ferry. The banks of the river present two different landscapes. On the right bank the town of Duclair with its businesses and its Seine riverside promenade embellished with beautiful Norman houses and the left bank devoted to agriculture and natural sites.

Duclair City Hall
Although a human presence is confirmed by the existence of a Gallic camp, it was not until the Roman invasion that Duroclarum (a beautiful town) experienced an important civilization.The commune is the result of the merger of the two ancient parishes of Duclair and Vaurouy ("Val Rouil" in 1469). The baron of Duclair is mentioned among the warriors of Hastings (1066). Occupied by the English in 1360. Important beer factory in the 15th and 16th centuries. Leprosarium, until the Revolution, on Mount Davilette.A railway line linking Barentin and Duclair is inaugurated in 1881.In 1928, the town hall and the village hall were inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of the Interior Albert Sarraut.The town hall was destroyed during the bombing on 19 April 1944.The present town hall was inaugurated on 15 May 1960.

Saint-Georges Abbey in Saint-Martin de Boscherville
In 1055, Raoul-le-Chambellan set up a community of canons in the small funeral chapel.At first, the canons taught and preached with the support of the aristocracy, but then, having become rich and powerful, they attracted the hostility of their benefactors. Their role did not resist the rise of monasticism with its values of poverty and community life. Like the collegiate church of Boscherville, about thirty Norman collegiate sisters disappear. In 1113 or 1114, Guillaume de Tancarville, chamberlain to King Henri I Beauclerc, drove them out to found the Abbey of Saint-Georges de Boscherville. In the 13th and 14th century the abbey suffered disorders leading to the decline of this rich abbey. The regime of the commend and the religious wars will ruin the abbey. At the Revolution, the goods are sold and after the Concordat the parishioners transform the abbey church into a parish church.

Le Manoir de l’Aumônerie ou Ferme des Templiers, La Génétey
The Manoir de l'Aumônerie is a rare example of 13th century civil architecture. The Manoir de l'Aumônerie was built by the Templars in 1214. The property is composed of numerous outbuildings and a medieval garden. On the estate is the Saint-Gorgon chapel, built in the 16th century. It was a famous place of pilgrimage until the 20th century. The Manor House has been listed in the supplementary inventory of Historic Monuments since 1974.More information : site of the manor which is also a gîte.

The Gustave-Flaubert bridge in Rouen
The Gustave-Flaubert bridge is a lift bridge which allows the Normandy motorway (A13) to cross the Seine west of Roeun, downstream of the first bridge (William the Conqueror bridge) which marks the limit of the part of the river accessible to sea-going vessels. Several solutions have been studied to facilitate the access of cruise ships and tall ships to the quays of Rouen.A lift bridge. This solution requires the construction of high pylons on both sides to clear the maritime gauge. This solution makes it possible to clear the various constraints as closely as possible. Lifting the central span requires cutting off road traffic.It was commissioned on 25 September 2008, after four years of work.More information Wikipedia

The Palace of Justice in Rouen
The Rouen courthouse, one of the most emblematic monuments of the Norman capital. Built for the most part between 1499 and 1507 to house the Parlour for the Bourgeois and the former Exchequer of Normandy, it became the Parliament of Normandy during the reign of François I in 1515, before being used as a courthouse from the French Revolution onwards. The building was enlarged in the 19th century towards Joan of Arc and Socrates streets. By the scale and richness of its design, it bears witness first of all to the renewed prosperity of the city of Rouen at the end of the 15th century, renewing a previously neglected municipal heritage. As an example of the Louis XII style civil architecture of the first decades of the 16th century, the monument was listed as a historic monument in 1840. Its architecture is similar to that of the Bourgtheroulde Hotel and the contemporary Finance Office.

Le Gros-Horloge in Rouen
Since its construction at the end of the 14th century, the Gothic belfry has housed the town bells and the town clock. The Big Clock is a Renaissance pavilion that spans the street with a low arch. On the double Renaissance dial, the single hand points the time. Under the number VI, the divinity symbolising the day of the week appears at noon on a chariot of triumph.Above the dial, a globe indicates the phases of the moon. Everywhere sheep remind us of the importance of working with wool. The paschal lamb, represented in the centre of the arcade, symbolises the arms of the city. Finally, a Louis XV fountain completes the ensemble and celebrates the loves of the river god, Alphée, and the nymph Aréthuse.A tour reveals the other side of the decor of this exceptional monument. In the pavilion, one reaches the dial room and in the belfry, one discovers the mechanism of the 14th century, the first municipal bells but also a unique panorama of the city.More information Wikipedia

Remarkable houses in Rouen
It is hard not to notice the many half-timbered houses in the historic city centre. A symbol of Rouen's architecture, a half-timbered house is made up of a wooden frame and the hourdage. Corbelling, allowing the creation of floors overhanging the ground floor, developed as early as the 14th century. As the technique was perfected, it was still possible to see two, three, and even four-storey houses until they were banned in 1520 due to beliefs about the health fears of the plague and the risk of fire spreading.The renaissance style of the Tourist Office will not leave you indifferent.

Historial Jeanne-d ‘Arc à Rouen
Discover a new kind of visit. Through a spectacular and innovative staging, take part in a real judicial investigation to discover the fate of Joan of Arc.It is at the Joan of Arc Historical Museum that the trial of Joan of Arc is played out to re-establish her innocence. Be an actor and judge in the most famous judicial inquiry in the history of Rouen. Witnesses, reenactments and audiovisual effects will take you on a unique experience in the heart of the 15th century! From his military actions for the reconquest of the throne of France to his torture at the stake, live an epic and captivating story through the medieval rooms of a monument previously closed to the public.Then go and meet the people who made her story and question them in a virtual tête à tête to discover the thousand faces of our heroine. After your visit, her myths and legends will no longer hold any secrets for you, so : See you in 1456!

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Rouen
The first church dates back to the 4th century following archaeological excavations at the end of the 20th century.The importance of the building can be discovered from Côte Sainte-Catherine, on via Colombani 610 as you leave the city. These exceptional dimensions symbolize the rank of the archbishopric of Normandy in the Middle Ages in the 13th century, second duchy after that of France. The Duchy of Normandy, of which Rouen is the capital, became part of the kingdom of France in 1204. The sanctuary The choir still houses the recumbents of three dukes of Normandy (Rollon, Viking chieftain at the origin of the duchy, William 1st son of Rollon, Richard the Lionheart).In the 11th century a Romanesque church was built, a century later the Gothic art can be seen in the whole building and makes its reputation. In the following centuries, the choir and the facade will enrich the gothic ensemble.In the 19th century the Gothic spire was destroyed by lightning and replaced by a cast iron spire, at that time the cathedral was the highest in France.During the Second World War the cathedral was heavily bombed and restoration work restored the building to its full splendour.More informations : Wikipedia