The City of Hundred Spires- ROUEN, France

One could easily fall in love with the City of Rouen- the capital of the Normandie region and the undisputed city for impressionism. Claude Monet for one has rented an apartment facing the Notre Dame Cathedral and had painted the facade of this beautiful gothic church twelve times. Another master, Camille Pissarro had even called it 'as beautiful as Venice'. Indeed, the city became a laboratory for "new painting' and attracted traveling artists like Paul Huet, Jean-Baptiste Camile Corot, Johan Barthold Jongkind to name a few.




Although the city was heavily bombed during the second World War as pictures of the aftermath were posted inside the Cathedral, still the city maintained its charm as evident of the wondrous works of architecture scattered in the old part. The colorful timber houses along the streets of the old town, the St Maclou Church with the jaw-dropping perfection of gothic architecture in the most flamboyant style, St Ouen Abbey and the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral towering all over the place made Rouen the City of Hundred Spires.

Overlooking the city from St Catherine, a viewpoint where Monet made one beautiful impressionist painting with only the Cathedral and the St Maclou church visible at that time, one would notice the great expanse and the green forests surrounding the place. A new bridge on the far side, previously named the 6th bridge, was recently renamed as the Gustave Flaubert bridge. A native to Rouen and counted to be one among the greatest Western novelist, Gustave Flaubert had lived on the side of the river Seine while writing the famous Madame Bovary. Rouen was where Joanne D'Arc was burned to death too. A beautiful contemporary church in her memory was erected on the same ground where she was burned to death. Facing from the opposite of the street is a museum dedicated to her life and beautiful waxed structure reenacting that tragic day.

Indeed, the city of Rouen is considered to be a museum town as everywhere you go has always some stories to tell. One thing that made my trip very memorable was my visit to the Musee des Beaux-Arts which had a special exhibition of Monet's impressionist works in Rouen, alongside Pissarro and Gauguin. Indeed, it was such beyond pleasure to see all the 12 works of Monet of the Cathedral's facade being gathered from all over the world. I couldn't contain my excitement as my eyes caressed the Monet's mastepieces, the series of bridges made by Pissarro and Gauguin. This museum of Fine Arts is must see for those visiting Rouen for a day. The paintings in this museum would give you a glimpse of what the city was like during the early 18th century. And through these years, it seemed like nothing has changed except for the new industrial buildings on the outskirts of the city. The River Seine, the churches, the timber houses, the cemetery, the museums-everything within walking distance and no wonder Victor Hugo said when he arrived at Rouen, 'I've seen everything'.
 
I hereby recommend staying in Rouen for a day or two. The city has a lot of things to offer. From shopping to gastronomie, there's always something for everyone. Below are just few pictures of this quaint city and let your eyes be the judge of the city's unique charm.