Part 5 (2/2)

SAINT-eTIENNE-DES-TONNELIERS,

At the corner of the street of that name, and the rue des Iroquois.

The construction of this edifice, dates from the commencement of the XVIth century.

SAINT-PIERRE-L'HONORe,

Rue des Bons-Enfans, at the corner of the rue Ecuyere.

SAINTE-CROIX,

Rue Sainte-Croix-des-Pelletiers, at the top of the street.

SAINT-SePULCHRE,

At the corner of the streets Saint-George and de la Vicomte.

SAINT-LAURENT,

In the street of that name. Its tower merits princ.i.p.ally the attention of the traveller; it was commenced in 1490 and finished in 1501. The screen of Saint-Laurent was considered a chef-d'uvre of architecture.

CIVIL MONUMENTS.

HoTEL-DE-VILLE (TOWN-HALL).

The modern building which stands near the northern transept of the church of Saint-Ouen was the dormitory of the monks. It is now the town hall. The offices occupy the ground and first floor, the library and gallery of paintings the second. The great stair-case is remarkable for its elegance and lightness; it has been compared to that at Somerset house. On the first landing we find in a niche, the statue of Lewis XVth in his youth, from the chisel of Lemoine. The great stair-case, next the church, constructed from the designs of Lebrument, the architect of the Madeleine, is distinguished by the boldness of its architecture; it leads to the library and gallery of paintings. The new facade of the town hall is composed of two wings which are parallel at their extremities, and a peristyle between the two former, but which does not so far project. Two columns of the corinthian order support the pediment, on which the armorial bearings of the town are sculptured; they are supported on one side by Mercury and the attributes of Commerce, and on the other by Industry in the likeness of Minerva. On the first floor of the southern wing, there is a very fine room, which is used for the meetings of the munic.i.p.al body; one of the rooms on the second floor has been devoted to the meetings of the royal academy, their former room having been joined to the public library.

The ancient town-hall, which was built in the year 1608, was situated at the corner of the rue Thouret and the rue de la Grosse-Horloge, and near the tower of the belfry; the only portion of this building which remains, is that which faces the rue Thouret. This edifice having fallen into ruin, it was decided that a new town-hall should be erected. In 1757, a plan was adopted, and the monument was to be raised at the western extremity of the old market place; but after having laid out one million of francs, on the foundations alone, they became terrified at the enormous sum, which it would require. The munic.i.p.al administration still possesses the model in relief of the said monument: it was of very curious architecture and may still be seen at the Museum.

ARCHIEPISCOPAL PALACE.

This edifice adjoins the Cathedral church. The princ.i.p.al body of the building, which faces the street, was begun and partly finished in 1461, by the cardinal d'Estouteville; but death overtook this prelate before he had completed the whole. It does not appear that his successor, Robert de Croixmare, continued the works. It was, according to Farin, the cardinal George d'Amboise Ist, who terminated the edifice. The only remarkable portion of the interior of this edifice is that named the _gallery of the states_. It is decorated with four large paintings by Robert. They represent views of Havre, Dieppe, Rouen and Gaillon, the once celebrated chateau of the archbishops of Rouen, and built by the cardinal d'Amboise Ist, with the savings which he made from his salary, from the profits of his legation, and from the large fines which he levied, with the knowledge of the king, on the rebel towns of Italy.

In 1508, when Lewis XIIth with his queen came to Rouen, he alighted at the archiepiscopal palace. The dauphin Francis of Valois, son of Francis Ist, inhabited it also in 1531.

The modern building which looks on the garden, and which is to the right on entering, was erected at the commencement of the last century. The library, which is appropriated to the chapter of the cathedral, is situated on the first floor.

PALACE OF JUSTICE.

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