Église St-Maclou, Rouen
Impressive Gothic facade of St-Maclou. Photo
Mannyyy.
Photo
Hugo Nanni.
Half-timbered houses and portals of St-Maclou. Photo
sarutora.
Doors with 16th-century carvings. Photo
sarutora.
Deathly decorations at Aitre St-Maclou. Photo
dm1795.The Église St-Maclou is a Gothic church located just across the street from the cathedral in Rouen.
History
St-Maclou was built in 1200 and rebuilt 1437-1521. The tall lantern tower was added over the crossing in 1868.
What to See
Built in a Late/Flamboyant Gothic style, the Church of St-Maclou stands on a square full of picturesque old Norman crooked-timbered buildings.
The west front features five portals of equal height and a magnificent step-gabled porch, whose two doors bear fine 16th-century wood carvings of biblical scenes, probably by Jean Goujon.
Inside, pictures dating from June 4, 1944, document St-Maclou's destruction and its subsequent restoration during the war.
The Aître St-Maclou, immediately to the east of the church, was a cemetery for plague victims and an integral part of the St-Maclou complex. It's now a tranquil garden of the Fine Arts school, but the lower story of the surrounding buildings still bears the deathly decorations of its darker past.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Église St-Maclou; St. Maclou Church |
| Type of site: | Church |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Status: | Active |
| Dates: | 1437-1521 |
| Architecture: | Late Gothic |
| Location: | East of the cathedral, across Rue de la Republique, 3 place Barthelemy, Rouen, France |
| Phone: | 02-35-71-71-72 |
| Hours: | Mon-Sat 10am-noon and 2-5pm; Sun 3-5pm Closed Jan 1, May 1, July 14, and Nov 11 |
| Cost: | Free |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of St-Maclou Church. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Rouen Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Darwin Porter, Frommer's France 2007 (October 2006).
- Rough Guide to France 9 (April 2005), 396.
- Eglise St-Maclou - Planetware
