In the port city of Rouen, northwestern France

 "One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying."

-- Joan of Arc
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(in northwestern France) The port city of Rouen is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. It is located about 78 miles (125 km) northwest of Paris, on the Seine River. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced an economic boom, due to the development of textile factories and river trade.

+ With its Gothic cathedral, restored medieval quarter, ancient churches, great museums and cultural life, Rouen is one of Normandy’s most historically rich destinations. The city has endured a turbulent history. It was devastated by fire and plague during the Middle Ages, and was occupied by the English during the Hundred Years War. The French heroine Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the central square in 1431. During WWII, Allied bombing raids laid waste to large parts of the city. Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period, due to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which is today one of the largest in France. Rouen is an important cultural capital. Many popular establishments are found here, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Secq des Tournelles museum, and Rouen Cathedral. The seat of a Catholic archdiocese, it also has a court of appeals and a university.

+ Rouen cathedral is considered one of the finest Gothic churches in France. The immense facade, covered with lacelike stonework, stands between two dissimilar towers, the left dating mostly from the 12th century, and the right from the 15th century. Its Tour de Beurre has a carillon of 55 bells. The central lantern tower (13th–16th century), with a late 19th-century spire, is the highest church tower in France [at 151 meters]). The cathedral also has an 11th-century crypt, a 13th-century choir, and Renaissance tombs in the Lady Chapel. The adjoining Archbishop’s Palace has a 15th-century facade, behind which stands the mainly 15th-century church of Saint-Maclou, a rich example of Flamboyant Gothic. The church of Saint-Ouen (mainly 12th–15th centuries) has a striking interior and 14th-century windows. Famous secular buildings include the late Gothic Palais de Justice and the 16th-century Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde. The Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum includes a collection of 17th- and 18th-century French paintings and Rouen ceramics. Other museums are devoted to the 17th-century dramatic poet Pierre Corneille and to the 19th-century novelist Gustave Flaubert, who were born here.