Rouen, Its History and Monuments: A Guide to StrangersLicquet, Théodore
History
Rouen, Its History and Monuments: A Guide to Strangers
Licquet, Théodore
Rouen (France) -- Guidebooks
_At the corner of the streets des Vergetiers, and the Grande-Rue._
FOUNTAIN OF THE VIEUX-MARCHÉ,
_On the old market place._
A modern square building, of the doric order. It was erected by Mr
Bouet, an architect of Rouen.
FOUNTAINS OF SAINT-MACLOU, AND OF THE PUCELLE.
Strangers will be repaid for their trouble in going to see these
fountains. The first, is situated at the corner of the church of
Saint-Maclou; there remain still two figures of children, an elegant
creation of Jean Goujon. We mention the second, the _fountain of the
Pucelle_, on the place of the same name, on account of the historical
recollections, which are attached to it. It is a heavy composition of
Paul Slodtz. Its want of style causes us to regret the beautiful
triangular fountain, which was erected after the execution, in this
square; of the _heroine of Vaucouleurs_, a monument which instead of
destroying, they should have tried to preserve.
FOUNTAIN OF LISIEUX,
_Rue de la Savonnerie._
This fountain is by far the most remarkable of the whole. It is thus
named on account of its being erected against a house, which belonged to
the bishop of Lisieux, who lodged in it when he came to Rouen. At the
top of the pyramid, we may remark Apollo, dressed in a most
extraordinary manner, and represented playing on the harp. Under the god
of the poets, we distinguish the horse Pegasus. Immediately beneath, a
figure with three heads is represented, of which the manuscripts make a
_philosophy_[21]. The nine muses are distributed in the rest of the
masonry, under the figure with three heads, which might almost be that
of a Hecate. Rocks, trees, turf and sheep, form the accompaniements of
this _Mount-Parnassus_.
The water ran formerly from two brass figures of Salamanders, which
indicated the date of the time of Francis the first. Mutilated as it is,
this monument is still very curious, and merits to be visited. Its
erection dates from the year 1518.
[Footnote 21: According to these manuscripts, the three heads represent
_Logic_, _Philosophy_ and _Metaphysics_. They were surmounted by a
crown.]
MINERAL WATERS.
Rouen has also its mineral waters, which, even in the neighbouring
towns, have a sort of reputation, I will point out three of the
principal sources, after _Lepecq de la Clôture_: The first, to the east,
is known under the name of _la Marèquerie_, to which we arrive by the
rue Martainville; the second, to the south east, named _de Saint-Paul_;
the third is situated at _Déville_, in the neighbourhood of Rouen. The
learned doctor, on whose authority I speak, assures us that sick people
to whom he ordered the water of the last named spring, were cured by the
use of it. He also adds, that this spring might become very valuable to
the inhabitants of the western quarter of the town. Nevertheless, it has
never been much known, and even at the present day very few people are
acquainted with its existence.
SQUARES AND MARKET PLACES.
OLD MARKET AND PLACE DE LA PUCELLE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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