Siege of Rouen (1562)

The siege of Rouen was an unsuccessful attempt by Henry IV of France to capture Rouen, the historical capital city of Normandy. The battle took place as part of the French Wars of Religion, the Eighty Years' War, and the Anglo–Spanish War (1585–1604). Although he had claimed the throne in 1589, Henry, a Huguenot, was not recognized by many of his Catholic subjects, and he was forced to fight against a Catholic League determined to resist his rule, and which was aided by Spain. The siege began on 11 November 1591 with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex confronting the town's governor, André de Brancas, Marquis of Villars, "with the sort of chivalric gesture which still was made on Europe's battlefields" and "challenged the Duke of Villars to meet him in individual combat." At Rouen the combined French, English, and Dutch forces of Henry IV battled the troops of the Catholic League, commanded by Villars, and the Spanish forces led by Don Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. The city resisted until the arrival of the Spanish troops, which defeated and forced the Protestant forces to lift the siege. As historian John Lothrop Motley described the abandonment, "Henry did not wait for the attack. He had changed his plan, and, for once in his life, substituted extreme caution for his constitutional temerity. Neither awaiting the assault upon his entrenchments nor seeking his enemy in the open field, he ordered the whole camp to be broken up, and on the 20th of April, raised the siege."

Rouen (UK: , US: ; French: [ʁwɑ̃] or [ʁu.ɑ̃]) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population of the metropolitan area (French: aire d'attraction) is 702,945 (2018). People from Rouen are known as Rouennais. 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 a remarkable economic boom, thanks in particular to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by both the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on 30 May 1431. Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it nevertheless regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period thanks to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which today is the fifth largest in France.Endowed with a prestige established during the medieval era, and with a long architectural heritage in its historical monuments, Rouen is an important cultural capital. Several renowned establishments are located here, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Secq des Tournelles museum, and Rouen Cathedral. Seat of an archdiocese, it also hosts a court of appeal and a university. Every four to six years, Rouen becomes the showcase for a large gathering of sailing ships called "L'Armada"; this event makes the city an occasional capital of the maritime world.

The Church of Saint Joan of Arc (French: L'église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc) is a Catholic church in the city centre of Rouen, northern France.The church of Saint Joan of Arc was completed in 1979 in the centre of the ancient market square, known as the Place du Vieux-Marché, the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy in 1431. A small garden, Le Bouchet, which is outside and to the north of the church marks the exact spot. The modern church Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc and the adjacent market halls were designed by the architect Louis Arretche, who was commissioned in 1969. The sweeping curves of the structure are meant to evoke both the flames that consumed Joan of Arc and an overturned longship. Many early Christian churches were designed in the shape of an overturned boat. The market halls simultaneously resemble smaller overturned boats and fish with gaping mouths, which are also rich Christian symbols. The tiled roof echoes this theme and forms a covered walkway over the square.

La Couronne, founded in 1345, is the oldest inn in France. It is located in Rouen, capital of the region of Normandy. It is in the historic city center and the dining room on the 1st floor contains paintings of personalities. In 1948, the restaurant served chef and author Julia Child her first French meal, which was said to inspire her to devote her life to promoting French cooking.

The Rouen Synagogue (French: Synagogue de Rouen) is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 55 rue des Bons-Enfants in Rouen, in the region of Normandy, France. The congregation is affiliated with the Israelite Central Consitory of France, and worships in the Sephardic rite.

The Gros-Horloge (English: Great-Clock) is a 14th century astronomical clock in Rouen, Normandy.The clock is installed in a Renaissance arch crossing the Rue du Gros-Horloge. The mechanism is one of the oldest in France, the movement having been made in 1389. Construction of the clock was started by Jourdain del Leche who lacked the necessary expertise to finish the task, so the work was completed by Jean de Felain, who became the first to hold the position of governor of the clock.The clock was originally constructed without a dial, with one revolution of the hour-hand representing twenty-four hours. The movement is cast in wrought iron, and at approximately twice the size of the Wells Cathedral clock, it is perhaps the largest such mechanism still extant. A facade was added in 1529 when the clock was moved to its current position. The mechanism was electrified in the 1920s and it was restored in 1997. As of 9 July 2022, the clock movement itself is not functional in any way. There is an electrical solenoid that rings one of the two bells in the tower on the 1/4 hr. The Renaissance facade represents a golden sun with 24 rays on a starry blue background. The dial measures 2.5 metres (25 dm; 250 cm) in diameter. The phases of the moon are shown in the oculus of the upper part of the dial. It completes a full rotation in 29 days. The week days are shown in an opening at the base of the dial with allegorical subjects for each day of the week.The Gros Horloge has featured in paintings by J. M. W. Turner and the French impressionist Léon-Jules Lemaître.

Métropole Rouen Normandie is the métropole, an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Rouen. It is located in the Seine-Maritime department, in the Normandy region, north-western France. It was created in January 2015, replacing the previous Communauté d'agglomération Rouen-Elbeuf-Austreberthe. Its area is 663.8 km2. Its population was 492,681 in 2014, of which 111,360 in Rouen proper.

The Cantons of Rouen are cantons situated in the Seine-Maritime département and in the Normandy region of northern France. Since the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the commune of Rouen is subdivided into 3 cantons: Canton of Rouen-1 (pop. 38,082) Canton of Rouen-2 (pop. 36,051) Canton of Rouen-3 (pop. 37,424)

The Rouen Opera House, formally known as Rouen Normandy Opera House - Theatre of Arts (French: Opéra de Rouen Normandie - Théâtre des arts) is a French opera house located in Rouen, Normandy. It is home to the Rouen Philharmonic Orchestra. It operates a portfolio of concert venues including its headquarters, known as the Théâtre des arts, and the Chapelle Corneille. It is situated next to the Métro and TEOR station Théâtre des arts.

The Rouen Courthouse, formerly known as the Échiquier de Normandie (Exchequer of Normandy), is a building located in Rouen, in the French department of Seine-Maritime, in the Normandy region. It stands as a prominent landmark in the Norman city. Constructed primarily between 1499 and 1507 to accommodate the Parloir aux Bourgeois and the former Exchequer of Normandy, it was designated as the Parliament of Normandy during the reign of François I in 1515. Subsequently, it functioned as a courthouse from the French Revolution onwards. In the 19th century, the building underwent expansion towards the Jeanne-d'Arc and Socrate streets. Due to its grandeur and intricate design, the monument reflects the revived prosperity of Rouen in the late 15th century, renewing a neglected municipal heritage. As an example of civil architecture in the Louis XII style from the early decades of the 16th century, the monument has been classified as a historical monument since 1840. Its architectural style is reminiscent of the contemporary Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde and the French Finance Office. The courthouse in Rouen suffered significant damage during a bombing on August 26, 1944, before the city's liberation, resulting in the near destruction of the central Louis XII-style main building. Extensive restoration work was carried out to rebuild the damaged sections, leading to the building's classification as a historical monument in 1977 and its definitive inscription in 1979. The site is located near the underground tram station Courthouse – Gisèle Halimi.

The Parlement of Rouen (French: Parlement de Rouen), also known as the Parlement of Normandy (French: Parlement de Normandie) after the place where it sat (the provincial capital of Normandy), was a provincial parlement of the Kingdom of France. It replaced the ancient court of the exchequer of Normandy, set up by Rollo, first duke of Normandy. The parlement was built in a mixing of the French Flamboyant style and Renaissance architecture by Roger Ango and Roulland le Roux, between 1499 and 1508, during the reign of the king Louis XII of France. Today, the building is the seat of the courthouse of the city of Rouen.

The Rue du Gros-Horloge is the main public pedestrian thoroughfare in the French city of Rouen.