ARCHITECTURE, Rouen

Favorite thing: Half-timbered houses are made of two parts. Thick standing beams and string-pieces (horizontal beams) are arranged on a stone basement (to insulate from the soil dampness) to give a stiff frame on which the wooden floors are set. This frame is not stiff enough and has to be strengthened by smaller logs (colombes) arranged in different ways, that help for the stability of the whole. When they are oblique, they are called "écharpes" (slings), when two are crossed they are "Croix de Saint André" (Saint Andrew crosses).

Favorite thing: At the turn of the 19th century, it looked fashionable to add fancy small towers that had no real purpose. That was only to make it beautiful and give a “Renaissance” look. At least, that was what they thought !

Favorite thing: Near rue Martainville, by the side of saint Maclou, close to a traditional half-timbered house painted in black a house that should have been built at the turn of the 19th century is trying to look different and smart, by alternate use of red and of white bricks.

Favorite thing: At the corner of Église Saint Maclou, between the front and the north side, the figure of a poor decayed young boy is watering permanently as the Bruxelle's famous Mankenpiss. It is not in very good condition and has even lost the most important part of his anatomy, which had to be replaced by stainless iron prosthesis.

Favorite thing: The association of the Perron families of America has set on September 10th 1993 this slate that says :

”Homage to Pierre Dugrenier and Marie-Thérèse Grenet, married here on August 9th 1711 and to their son Joseph, married in New-France in 1742, ancestor to the Dugrenier and Dugrenier called Perron of America”*.

Favorite thing: This commemorative slab reminds the memory of Claude Poulain of another emigrant. It says :

“On January 25th 1616, was baptized in this church Claude Poulain, son of Paschal Poulain and of Marie Levert. He married at Quebec on August 8th 1639 Jeanne Mercier, daughter to Loup Mercier and Jeanne Gaillard from Mortagne-au-Perche* (a small town in Normandie) who had been baptized on November 25th 1621”*.

Note that the groom was 23 years old and the bride 18 years old.

Favorite thing: The organ of the Église Saint Maclou was built in 1521. The marble columns are from Jean Goujon and the paneling is Renaissance style. It is topped by a rosace magnificently carved in stone, added with mostly red glass.

Favorite thing: The nave of the Église Saint Maclou is elegant with very thin columns that belong to the Gothique flamboyant style as it was built between 1437 and 1517. It had been badly hit by collateral damages bombings in 1944.

Favorite thing: The North portal, the left and the central portal of the front side of the church are not for regular use. Only the right portal, with a plain, modern door, is used as an entrance in the church. Inside, each doorway is closed securely with ancient latch, made in cast iron.

Favorite thing: On the righy, the top medallion the North portal of the église Saint Maclou seems to represent two persons laying on a bed, under a canopy, while several persons are around. I have not found any explanation for this scene. I keep searching.