ROUEN (Lat. Rotomagus), one of the principal manufacturing and trading cities of France, and the capital of the dep. of Seine-Inferieure, is situated on the right bank of the Seine, 87 In. n.w. of Paris by railway. The ramparts have been converted into spacious boulevards, which, as well as the quays that line the river-banks, are little, if anything, inferior to the boulevards and quays of Paris. The deep waters of the Seine form a commodious port, which is generally crowded with ships of all nations, from vessels of 300 tons to the smallest river craft. A stone bridge and a suspension-bridge connect the faubourg, St. Sever, on the left bank of the river, with the city, which is at once one of the most picturesque and one of the busiest and liveliest places in France. Some of the streets are well and regularly built, with tine modern stone houses; but the greater part of Rouen consists of old, ill-built, but picturesque streets and squares, with tall, narrow, quaintly-carved, wooden-bound, and gabled houses. Among the many beautiful Gothic churches for which it is noted, the finest are the cathedral and the church of St. Ouen. The former, one of the noblest metropolitan churches of France, is a remarkably fine specimen of Gothic architecture. It is built in a cruciform shape, and has two towers at the sides of the w. entrance, and a lofty tower (464 ft. high) a cast-iron spire, which was erected after the destruction by fire in 1622, of the old wooden belfry, which bore the date of 1544. It was erected by Philippe Auguste between 1200 and 1220, and contains, in its 25 highly-ornamented chapels, numerous monuments of great interest, among others, those of duke Rollo of Normandy, and his son, William Long-Sword. The heart of Richard Cceur de Lion, buried in this church, is now preserved in time extensive museum of antiquities. The church of St. °nen, as large as the cathedral, is one of the most interesting buildings in Rouen, and in its pretent restored state presents a pure and elegant specimen of Gothic architecture. Among the other buildings of Rouen, the finest are the palais tie justice, belonging to the 15th c., and built for the parliament of the province; the hOtel de vine. with its
public library of 110,000 volumes and its gallery of pictures; and the hotel Dieu, one of the largest of its kind. Rouen has numerous benevolent, educatiohal, and scientific institutions; and next to Lyons is perhaps the most important manufacturing town in the empire. The principal branches of industry are cotton manufactures, including the checked and striped cottons specially designated as Rouenneries, nankeens, dimity, lace, cotton velvets, shawls, etc. Rouen has also extensive manufactories of hosiery, mixed silk and wool fabrics, blankets, flannels, hats, cordage, cotton and linen yarns, shot, steel, lead. chemicals, paper, etc. Among other branches of industry, we may mention ship-building and machinery in various departments. Rouen is the seat of an arch bishop, a high court of justice flr the department, a tribunal of first instance, and of commerce, etc. Pop. '76, 104,863.
//f,torll.—As the original capital in France of the Northmen, who took possession of it in 842, and settled there in accordance with the agreement which Charles the simple was compelled to make with their leader Rollo, Rouen presents special points of interest to Englishmen It was the residence of the dukes•of Normandy till duke William, in 1066. on his conquest of England, transferred the seat of his court to London; mum, till the time of Richard Catur de Lion, it continued to be the capital of Normandy, and was the seat of government of the Norman possessions of William the conqueror's suc cessors; but in 1204 it was taken by siege by the French king Philippe Auguste, and annexed with the main part of the duchy to the French crown. During the wars of Henry V. and Henry VI. of England, it was under the power of the English from 1419 to 1449. when it was retaken by the French under Charles VII. It was during this occupation by the English that Joan d'Arc was burned alive (1431) as a witch in the square of the city, in which stands her statue, and which is called, in memory of her, place de la Pucelle. Rouen was occupied by German troops in the war of 1870-71.