ROUEN, ARCHDIOCESE OF. – City and archdiocese, capital of the department of Seine-Inférieure in France; the diocese covers the same area as the department, namely 6,146 sq. km., with a population of 915,628, of whom 870,000 are Catholics. It is divided into 5 archdeaconries and 46 deaneries comprising 717 parishes, served by 740 diocesan priests and 70 regular clergy; it has two seminaries; 9 male religious communities and 39 female (Ann. Pont. 1952, p. 342). Its suffragan sees are Bayeux, Évreux, Séez, and Coutances. The patroness of the diocese is the Blessed Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven. Until the foundation of the episcopal see of Québec (1674), the archbishops of Rouen exercised jurisdiction over Canada.
Rouen, archdiocese of – Plan of the cathedral of Rouen.
The ecclesiastical province of Rouen formed most of Neustria in the Merovingian age, but suffered greatly from the raids of pirates from the North. The archbishop of Rouen bears the title of Primate of Normandy. Many episcopal lists survive, which may be grouped into two categories of manuscripts: one in prose, the other in verse, preserved in the Ivory Book of the Cathedral and the Black Book of the Abbey of St-Ouen. The difference lies in the name of St Nicasius, who in one group heads the list. The *Acta episcoporum Rothomagensium* are said to have been composed at the end of the 11th century by a monk of St-Ouen. The first bishop was Mallonius, whose feast is celebrated on 22 October; next came Avitianus, present at the Council of Arles in 314; followed by Severus, Eusebius, Marcellinus, Peter, and Victricius, known from two letters of St Paulinus (Ep. 18, 37); he went to Rome in 403 and received a decretal from Pope Innocent on 15 February 404 (Jaffé-Wattenbach, 286); a friend of St Martin of Tours and in correspondence with St Ambrose, he built the church which later became the cathedral, placing many relics there, solemnly welcomed as attested in his homily *De laude Sanctorum* (PL 20, 443 ff.), from which it appears that even in his time consecrated virgins, ascetics, and continent persons formed the elite of the population of his diocese (cf. L. Vacandard, *St Victrice*, Paris 1902; P. Andrieu-Guitrancourt, *La vie ascétique à R. au temps de st Victrice*, in *Mélanges Julien Lebreton*, II, 1912, pp. 90-100). His successors were Innocent, Evodius, Malosianus, Germanus, who attended the Council of Tours in 461; Gildaredus, who attended that of Orléans in 511; and Flavius, who attended those of Orléans in 538 and 541. Praetextatus took part in the Council of Tours in 567 and in Paris between 556-573; in Mâcon in 585; sent into exile and then returned, he was assassinated in his church on Easter Sunday, 14 April 586 (Gregory of Tours, *Hist. Franc.*, V, 18; VII, 16; VIII, 20, 31, 41; IX, 20, 39); Melantius was supported by Queen Fredegund (ibid., loc. cit., VII, 19; VIII, 31 and 41). In 601 Gregory I addressed Melantius “Rotumo” (MGH, *Epist.*, II, p. 315) to commend to him the monks sent to St Augustine for the evangelization of England. In the 12th century a Martyrology of the region of Rouen, probably from St-Ouen, inserted on 16 January the notice of St Melantius, which spread first in Normandy, then in the regions of Liège and in some Italian monasteries, in connection with the Normans (B. De Gaiffier, *St Mélance de R. vénéré à Malmédy et St Melas de Rhinocoulure*, in *Anal. Bolland.*, 64 [1946], pp. 54-71). Iddeo was at the Council of Paris in 614; Romanus is commemorated on 23 October; Audoenus (641-84) was at the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône in 650. Auberto, formerly abbot of Fontenelle, died interned at Hautmont (Cambrai) in 687; from the same abbey came Hugh, later bishop of Paris-Bayeux and abbot of Jumièges, d. 730; Grimoald in 744 received the pallium from Pope Zachary, who mentions him in his letters (Jaffé-Wattenbach, 2270, 71); as also Ragenfred (Jaffé-Wattenbach, 2287); Remigius, son of Charles Martel, went to Rome to Paul I, from whom he obtained the archicantor Simeon to instruct his monks, whom he also sent to Rome (Jaffé-Wattenbach, 2344-2371); then Mainard, Willebert, Ragnoard, present at the Council of Thionville in 835; Guntaldus was at the Councils of Germigny in 843 and of Paris in 846, at which Pope Sergius II chose him to settle the dispute between Ebbo and Incmar (Jaffé-Wattenbach, 2589-91); Paul, who in 853 was a *missus dominicus*; Wenilo was present at the Synod of Quierzy in 858; Adalard at that of Douzy in 872; Witto at that of Reims in 901 and in 909 at Trosly. John of Avranches (1068-79) wrote *De officiis ecclesiasticis* (PL 147); Peter of Colmieu (1236-45) was legate of Innocent IV and later cardinal, as were his successors Rigaldus (1248-75), Giles Aycelin (1311-18), later archbishop of Narbonne, Peter Roger, later Clement VI, Cardinal William d’Estouteville (1453-83); the two Cardinals George d’Amboise (1494-1510 and 1511-50); Charles I of Bourbon-Vendôme (1550-82); Charles II of Bourbon-Vendôme (1582-94); François de Joyeuse (1605-15); the two François de Harlay (1615-51 and 1651-71); J. N. Colbert (1691-1707); D. de la Rochefoucauld (1759-1800); E. H. de Cambacérès (1802-18); the Prince of Croÿ-Solre (1823-44); H. M. G. de Bonnechose (1851-83); L. B. Thomas (1884-94); E. F. Fuzet (1899-1915); E. Dubois (1916-20); A. Du Bois de la Villerabel. At Rouen on 30 May 1431 St Joan of Arc was burned (v.).
Monuments. Archbishop Robert of Normandy, d. 1037, built a new cathedral which was consecrated by Archbishop Maurilius in 1062; work on it continued, however, into the time of Archbishop Hugh (1145). The tower known as that of St Romain dates from the end of the 12th century. But on Easter night 1200 part of the cathedral burned and was immediately repaired. In 1266 an episcopal consecration was celebrated there. In 1302 Archbishop G. de Flavacourt gave the land for the chapel of Our Lady. The interior measures 135 m. x 31 m.; the vaults of the central nave are 28 m. high; the west façade is 58.65 m. high; the towers measure: that called St Romain 82 m.; that called “de Beurre” 75 m.; the spire is 151 m. high. The “de Beurre” tower was erected in 1487 and contains the chapel of St Stephen. The numerous side chapels belong to the various guilds and confraternities formed at Rouen during the 14th century. On the exterior of the west façade the two portals of St Stephen and St John date from between the end of the 12th century and the first quarter of the 13th. In the tympanum of the former is represented the stoning of the proto-martyr, Christ in majesty, episodes from the life of St Paul, and scenes from the life of the Baptist. The portal called “de la Calende” has in its tympanum the Coronation of the Virgin and scenes of the Passion, and on its jambs Jesus Christ, the Apostles, the deacons, and episodes from the Old and New Testaments, the lives of St Romain and St Ouen (late 13th century). The portal called “des Lichaires” has carved in its tympanum the unfinished Last Judgement, the crucifixion of St Peter, and in 150 medallions episodes from the Creation to the slaying of Abel, interspersed with fantastic animals (late 13th century).
To the north of the Cathedral were the cloister and the chapter house; the present sacristy is located in the ancient Treasury of the 13th century. Of the old archiepiscopal palace built in the 12th century by G. Bonne-Ame, some halls remain: the Palace was connected to the Cathedral by covered galleries; major transformations were carried out by Cardinal d'Estouteville (1462-65) and later by Cardinal G. d'Amboise. At the end of the 15th century the conciergerie was erected, in 1716 the present Chapel, and in 1738 the monumental Library. Restoration work begun by Monsignor Fuzet was interrupted by the Separation Law. In the chapel of St. John the Baptist, the stained glass windows depict scenes from the life of the Precursor, followed by those of the life of St. Severus, Bishop of Avranches, and the legends of St. Catherine and St. Stephen; all from the 13th century. In the ambulatory, the stained glass windows date from between 1220-40; that of St. Julian the Hospitaller was donated by the fishermen of R., while the other, depicting the story of St. Joseph, was donated by the cloth shearers and bears the signature: Clemens vitrarius Carotenis (of Chartres) me fecit. Other stained glass windows contain scenes from the life of Christ; those in the transept are from the 14th century. In the chapel of the Blessed Virgin is the series of bishops of R.; the three large rose windows are also from the 14th century, but the western one was restored at the beginning of the 16th century. The stained glass windows of the choir were executed by L. le Doyen (1430-31), G. de Grainville (1432) and J. de Senlis (1432-33); those of the minor naves are by G. Barbe (1450-85). The confraternity of St. Romanus decorated the chapel dedicated to him with his legends, including a characteristic depiction of all the virtues gathered around his deathbed. There are also the tombs of the archbishops Maurilius, Cardinals de Bonne-Chose and Thomas, of George I (1460-1510) and George II d'Amboise (1488-1550), and of Cardinal Prince de Croy (1835). The stalls were donated by Cardinal d'Estouteville (1457-69).
The church of St-Maclou or St-Malo was begun in 1437 according to a design by P. Robin in Flamboyant Gothic style; the two Cardinals d'Amboise were its patrons and the second consecrated it in 1521. The present bell tower dates from 1868-70. The façade opens onto a portico. On the central portal are depicted the Circumcision and the Baptism of Christ, surmounted by seven statuettes. On the tympanum, the Last Judgment. In the door to the left, known as the "dei Ponti" (baptismal) door, is the Parable of the Good Shepherd with the Allegories of the Four Seasons. Inside, the central nave has three bays; on the transept is a tower, an ambulatory and a choir with a four-sided apse; the stained glass windows are Renaissance; remarkable are the Tree of Jesse and the Crucifixion in the transept. St. Andrew: the cloister or atrium (from atrium) dates from between 1526-33; except for the south side, which is from 1640. The central part was used as a cemetery; it is surrounded by walkways supported by stone columns whose capitals were carved with scenes of the goat dance, now much defaced. The church of St-Vivien is also in Flamboyant Gothic style of the 15th century, with a stone bell tower.
The church of St-Eloi is in 16th-century Gothic style, today occupied by Protestants. The church of Ste-Madeleine was begun in 1761 and completed in 1767; on the crossing rises a dome surmounted by a kind of obelisk in slate. The church of St-Vincent is famous for its 15th-century misericords and for its central square tower in Flamboyant Gothic style. An elegant portico precedes the façade; on the portal, a much-damaged bas-relief depicts the Ascension of the Lord. The interior features an elevated choir with 1515 stained glass windows depicting the Triumph of the Blessed Virgin; in the chapel to the left, the stained glass windows bear the signature of Engrand le Prince and his son (1515-30) and depict the Works of Mercy and episodes from the life of St. Anthony of Padua. In the sacristy, Renaissance and 17th-century tapestries. The church of St. Patrick, also in Flamboyant Gothic style, was built in 1535. The interior has no transept; the stained glass windows, dated between 1538-1625, have been much restored, except for those in the right aisle where the scene of the adult woman is from 1549; as are those with episodes from the life of the Baptist, the Adoration of the Magi and the Shepherds; the Story of Job and the Works of Mercy; some in the left aisle are also ancient, depicting episodes from the life of St. Martha (1543), St. Louis (1583) and especially the Annunciation (1538). Of the ancient church of St-Andre-aux-Fèbres, only the Gothic tower, 32 m high, built in 1452, remains.
The ancient Seminary, founded in 1515 by Cardinal de Joyeuse, became the Jesuit College (17th-18th centuries); today it houses the "Petit collège de Joyeuse" and the Corneille Lycée. The artistic chapel was built between 1614 and '56. In the cloister and buildings of the former convent of the Visitation (1681-91), the "Musée d'Antiquité" is now housed, featuring notable Tanagra statuettes, sarcophagi, inscriptions, Roman bronzes and mosaics, medieval reliquaries, historiated stained glass from ancient churches, and statues of Apostles from Jumieges. The church of St. Romanus is the former chapel of the Carmelite convent built from 1676 to 1730. The church of St-Godard, in 15th-16th century Gothic style, has an unfinished square tower in Renaissance style. It is divided by columns into three naves. In the chapel of the Blessed Virgin, 16th-century stained glass windows depict the Life of the Madonna and the Tree of Jesse dated to 1560; in the chapel of St. Romanus, evangelical apparitions and the life of St. Romanus (1555).
The ancient church of St. Lawrence was converted to secular use in 1791; it was built between 1444-1554 in Flamboyant Gothic style, as was the tower (1490-1501), 37 m high. Restored in 1920, it became the Le Secq de Tournelles Museum, named after the founder of a precious collection of wrought iron objects. The church of St. Nicholas is in 16th-century Gothic style with a fine 1555 stained glass window. The church of St. Severus in the neighboring suburb is modern. In the vicinity of R. is the basilica of Bonsecours on the same-named hill, built between 1840-42 in imitation of 13th-century Gothic style. The high altar is in gilded bronze.
A letter from an Augustinian dated June 24, 1697, recounts the festivities in honor of a St. Columba, virgin and martyr, whose relics were translated that year to R. from a cemetery on the Via Salaria, which was probably that of Massimo ([v.]. R. Vieillard, Translation des reliques des catacombes à R. au XVIIe siècle, in Riv. di arch. crist., 16 [1939], pp. 135-40). A gold ring with the inscription DOMMIA found at R. was illustrated by E. Le Blant, Nouveau recueil des inscr. chrét. de la Gaule, Paris 1892, p. 22, n. 19).
The "Musée des Beaux-Arts" was formed in 1801-1809 by the painter G. Lemonnier with about a thousand paintings from various ancient and modern schools; its collection of ceramics has been moved to the cloister of St-Maclou. The same building houses the municipal library, rich in over 200,000 volumes and 200 manuscripts, of which 150 are illuminated between the 11th and 17th centuries; a rich collection of prints and numismatics; together with the Civic Archive containing documents prior to 1800. Among the manuscripts, notable are a benedictional of Archbishop Robert (10th century) used for the coronation of Anglo-Saxon kings; a missal said to be of St-Futhiac (11th century).
### The Abbey of St-Ouen
Clovis or Clotaire I is said to have founded the abbey of St Peter, which later took the name of St-Ouen from that of the bishop of Rouen. Only a few pillars remain of the original building. In 684 the body of St Ouen, bishop, was interred there; it was burned by the Normans in 842. In the 10th century the abbey became a place of pilgrimage for the veneration of the relics of the saintly bishop, who eventually gave his name to the monastery. The new church was begun between 1056 and 1066 and dedicated on 17 October 1126. It was damaged by fires in 1136 and 1248; part of it collapsed at the beginning of the 14th century. Reconstruction was begun by Abbot J. Roussel (1303–1339). After a long interval, work was resumed in the 15th century, especially through the gifts of Cardinal d’Estouteville, who was abbot from 1462 to 1483. It was damaged in 1562 by the Huguenots and by a hurricane in 1683. During the French Revolution it was turned into a museum; in 1799 revolutionary festivals were held there and dancing took place; in 1845 the façade was demolished, leaving only the north and south side walls. The porch is called the “des Marmousets” on account of the small statues that once adorned it; it dates from the end of the 14th century. In the tympanum are carved the Dormition of the Virgin, her Funeral, the Assumption and the Coronation. The portals contain medallions depicting the miracles of St Ouen. The choir windows date from the 14th century, those of the transept from the 15th, and those of the nave from the 16th. The interior has three naves with a very deep choir ending in a polygonal apse and a deambulatory with six side chapels. In the north transept there remains one of the two-storey apsidioles, now called the “Tour aux clercs.” The keystones of the choir bays were adorned in the 14th century with narrative medallions, including reliefs of the Baptism of Christ, the Stoning of St Stephen, the Beheading of St John the Baptist and the Coronation of the Virgin. The two rose windows of the transept are from the 15th century. The monastic dormitory is now the Town Hall. In the great cylindrical tower known as the “Tour de Jeanne d’Arc,” which was brought there several times in 1431, a “Jeanne d’Arc” Museum has been established.
### The Abbey of St-Wandrille
It was founded in 648 by St Wandregisilus (Wandrille), a disciple of St Columbanus; it was initially called “Fontanelle” after the small stream flowing through the site. It flourished greatly in the Middle Ages but declined in the 16th century; it was occupied by the Maurists from the 17th century until the French Revolution, which suppressed II. In 1894 it passed to the Benedictines of Ligugé until its suppression under Combes. The Benedictines reoccupied it in 1913. The abbey church was built between 1255 and 1342; only the north side of the transept remains. The very large choir had an ambulatory flanked by 15 chapels. The cloister is well preserved between two large buildings of the Maurist period. On the south-east side there is a 14th-century portal with the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin; of the same period is the statue known as “Notre-Dame de Fontanelle.” The ancient refectory of the 12th century survives; the original chapter house now serves as the chapel of the new monastery. On the adjacent hill stands the three-apsed chapel of St Saturninus, dating from the end of the 11th century. — See pl. LXXXVI.