The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Rouen
Let’s be advocates; it’s the most beautiful Gothic cathedral in France. Immortalized by Claude Monet and his famous series of 30 paintings known as "The Cathedrals," the building is captivating. Play of shadows and light, drapery of sculptures, grain of the stone— the artist’s brushes pay a magnificent tribute to the spirit of the place. Construction began in 1145 on the foundations of an ancient Romanesque church consecrated by the future William the Conqueror. A century later, the Saint Romain tower, the nave, and the façade were completed. Yet it was desired to be more beautiful and larger. Construction resumed; it would last another three centuries. Despite fires, wars, storms, Vikings... and the Revolution, the cathedral still stands there, impressively beautiful. Thus, the "Portail des librairies," a dizzying lacework of stone, is a visual delight. Or the "Butter Tower," named for the right of the wealthiest, in the 16th century, to eat fatty foods during Lent. The most humane of cathedrals, in short.
Cathedral of Rouen ©iStock
Normandy
