Pont-de-l'Arche, a medieval town

Welcome to the heart of Archépontaine life! The intoxicating aromas fill the market square, which has been as lively as ever every Sunday since the Middle Ages. Although the market hall and the bust of Hyacinthe Langlois have disappeared, the coat of arms on the ground, sometimes hidden beneath a terrace or stall, remains a witness to the past. The fleurs-de-lis are a reminder that you are in a royal town, a strategic location coveted by Richard the Lionheart and Philippe Auguste. After the recapture of Normandy, Pont-de-l’Arche became the seat of an important bailiwick and a military centre.

The thick walls of the Vieux Manoir have stood the test of time. Many famous people have stayed here, including Anne-Geneviève de Bourbon-Condé, a princess of royal blood. In the 19th century, subtle hints of the opera “Manon”, composed here by the discreet Jules Massenet, could be heard. Have ghost stories ever crossed these walls? Jacques-Henri Lartigue, the famous artist and photographer renowned for his ghost pictures, made us believe it! He captured fleeting moments, everything that moves and comes to life! Let’s continue our visit to rue Sainte-Marie, a much livelier and more popular district.

Let’s stop first in the small courtyard of the Cerf, where there is a column with a carved capital supporting the portico. It comes from Bonport Abbey, founded by Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Let’s continue our visit to the church, where twelve lions proudly rest, symbols of the courageous Richard the Lionheart.

Visitors, look up at one of the largest south facades in Normandy: 37 metres of majesty! Notre-Dame-des-Arts church, listed as a Historic Monument since 1910, dominates the town. Built from 1499 in a flamboyant Gothic style mixed with Renaissance, it was completed in the 19th century with the addition of the sacristy, vaults and pointed arches. Its treasures include 17th-century stained glass windows, notably the one depicting the hauling of boats by Martin Verel (1605), 46 stalls from Bonport Abbey, a great organ donated by Henri IV and a 17th-century Baroque high altar. But there is another building in the town that also attracts attention…

The place has changed a lot! You can still see the base of one of the entrance towers, with a loophole and the site of the portcullis. You are about to enter the Saint-Jean gate, once surrounded by twin turrets, protected by a moat and closed by a drawbridge and portcullis. Ironically, this entrance now bears the name of the man responsible for its destruction: Louis Thiroux de Crosne, Intendant of the Generalitat of Rouen. In the 18th century, he ordered the complete opening up of the city’s entrances and the construction of the first boulevards. Let’s explore the outskirts of the city and see if we can discover some remnants of this bygone era.

Over time, the town expanded, giving rise to a less severe residence: “la villa des Lauriers”, a blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture. This villa belonged to Henry Prieur, a 19th-century entrepreneur who started out making slippers before moving into footwear. Let’s take the street that bears his name again to reach the banks of the Eure. Along the way, identical terraced brick houses bear witness to the town’s working-class past. Below, take the staircase on the right and cross the pedestrian crossing.

Remember the stained glass window in the church, showing the river boats, pulled by horses and men, to cross the arches of the bridge. This work could last
a whole day, especially with the 50 cm waterfall at bridge height. Today, all that can be heard from the old towpath is the sound of the weir, releasing the waters of the Eure into the Seine during floods. It also frees you from the meanders of time, in the hope that this journey to the heart of the medieval city has touched you with its singular history and glorious past.