Rouen, a major river and maritime port on the Seine (European leader for cereals, French for flour), is universally famous thanks to its cathedral magnified by Claude Monet. Its relative proximity to Paris (135km) makes it a destination of choice for long weekends or an introduction to the discovery of Normandy. We gladly stroll through its old streets, despite the cobblestones, but we often forget that some of the finest of French arts and letters were born here: Théodore GéricaultPierre CorneilleGustave Flaubert and many others including Mauritius Leblancfather of the cult Arsène Lupin.
Fine art to touch
Géricault, we find him next to other eminent painters at the Musée des fine arts whose imposing building is located along the street Jeanne D’Arc (burnt not far away, it should be remembered) which connects the station to the old center. People with motor disabilities can access it from the rue Jean side Lecanuet, another celebrity whose name will evoke more to older generations; wheelchairs are available for loan. The museum, like many others, does its utmost to open its prestigious collections free of charge to as many people as possible; visitors with disabilities are not forgotten. The richness of what is presented, and which covers all the arts from the 15th century to the present day, is truly breathtaking: plan a good half-day to discover some nuggets judiciously indicated and do not hesitate, if necessary, to follow a guided tour.
But what makes the museum even more precious is the temporary space (until September 2022) that it offers to the sighted and blind public, entitled “Art and matter, please touch. » Beyond the title, which says well what it is about, the purpose of this collaboration between several museum institutions is to give to perceive Art other than by sight. The experience is done in pairs (seer-blind or seer blinded by a blindfold), in an undertone, around the facsimile of a sculpture: we touch, we comment, we identify, sensitive preamble to the discovery of the collections .
And circus of all kinds…
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Also at the Museum of Fine Arts, another temporary exhibition (paying) entitled ” Cirque and acrobats”, available in various places in the city, presents one of the most important private collections of works and objects related to this art, from Renaissance court entertainment to the golden age of large companies in the 20th century. century, with their menageries, their colorful artists and their communication ahead of its time. Many piously restored posters punctuate the visit, which can also be done with a guide. Note, more generally, that visits in LSF are scheduled for each temporary exhibition.
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The circus theme is also available at the Musée des Antiqueslocated not far from there rue Beauvoisine, with the very beautiful presentation “Cirque et Japan. The rarity and beauty of the prints presented here will amaze amateurs all the more as the subject of acrobats appears little in the history of Art in Japan, where it remains as little known as in France. Detailing these delicate supports teeming with life makes you travel very far! One caveat, however: if the main building, which also includes the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, is easily accessible by wheelchair (you can also lend one at reception), the same is not true for the space hosting the temporary exhibitions: you have to be opened then go through the workshops of the institution where a temporary ramp is set up. Aware of the problem, the public authorities have included it in the vast project of renovation which should, by 2025, transform the place into a museum center of the 21st century.
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In the meantime, better to inform of your arrival. That being said, do not miss to complete your visit with that of the permanent collections of the two museums of the said institution, whose richness is only equaled by its diversity: it is just a question of taste and time. You can then rest in the charming square Maurois which adjoins the building before going, for example, to taste some specialties Normandy as a prelude to an evening show at the Arts Theater where we are waiting for you…
From Joan of Arc to the Seine
The heart of Rouen is concentrated enough for the wandering to be done on foot or in a wheelchair: the sublime cathedralof course, that it is possible to discover in more detail with a guide from the Tourist Office (whose offer is bloated). Nearby, the Historial Jeanne d’Arc, opened in 2015, evokes the life of the warrior Maid and presents a poignant reconstruction of the second posthumous trial which rehabilitated her in 1456.
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Also to discover, the emblematic big clock and, of course, the place of old market where Joan of Arc was executed and where sits, next to a gigantic cross, in addition to halls with questionable aesthetics, a church modern style expiatory which is mainly worth for the very beautiful light that filters its old stained glass windows recovered from a destroyed building. The place is nonetheless one of the beating hearts of the city, with its many terraces. Other terraces and trendy places are to be discovered on the banks of the Seine, always on foot or in a wheelchair, or by taking one of the many transports accessible.
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Let’s complete this quick overview of the old center with theAitre Saint-Maclou, as spectacular as it is mysterious. Accessible on one level at the turn of the old streets, it opens its delicate cloister, in the Renaissance style, onto a peaceful courtyard where it is good to languish, thanks perhaps, or despite its primary vocation: it was in effect a cemetery, a destination recalled by the decorative elements appearing on the beams: bones, skulls, religious symbols… Its elegant buildings now house a Gallery of the Arts of Fire (Crafts), a gallery ofContemporary art and one restaurant. It is also possible, on Saturdays and Sundays, to discover this vast complex by visiting guided. We will have warned you: a weekend is not enough to overcome Rouen!
Jacques Vernes, April 2022.
On the web, the site of the Tourist Office of Rouenin addition to general information on the destination and fact sheets mentioning accessibility to the various types of handicap, brings together on a page dedicated, those intended for the disabled public with, in particular, a “ top 10 which in itself is an excellent tourist guide. Special mention, moreover, to the inclusive restaurant Le XXIin the old center, which combines gastronomy and adapted business: a good address in all respects!
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