PRESS KIT Literature
Introduction Normandy, an artistic hub since the dawn of time, has inspired numerous writers in various fields. A prosperous region near to Paris, Rouen has been one of the key French literary centres since the Middle Ages. Noblemen and the middle classes from the surrounding areas alternated their holidays between the capital and the province, bringing along the latest trends and European fashions. Rouen and the Seine Valley is full of unique historical examples and unrivalled talent. 3
Rouen Le Livre des Fontaines: a unique example of a little-known gem Written by Jacques Le Lieur in 1526, Le Livre des Fontaines is a unique representation of Rouen's water supply. This document illustrates an area of Rouen of around 20 meters long by 1 metre wide in a technical and detailed manner (architecture, graphics). His work needed more than 16,000 sheets kept in a wooden box which was 11 centimetres thick. Sent to the city's aldermen, this true 16th Century masterpiece is currently a unique example in Europe. Whilst this document is technical, above all, its original nature is a fine example kept within the Rouen city archives. Le Livre des Fontaines has also been used as staging for the Gros Horloge, a symbol of the city, which was connected to the city hotel where the aldermen stayed during construction. Elbeuf André Maurois (26 July 1885 09 October 1967) Elbeuf, nicknamed the town of 100 chimneys, has long been considered as the main cloth manufacturing town in France. This rich industrial history gave rise to artistic and literary development in the town. The arrival of the Herzog family was due to the settling of the Alsatian community in Elbeuf after the 1870 defeat and the annexation of Alsace to the German Empire. Emile Herzog was born on 26 July 1885 and would later take the name André Maurois. An author of successful biographies and novels, he would later be elected to the Académie Française. 4
La Bouille birthplace of Hector Malot (20 May 1830 18 July 1907) Noted for its close relationship with Impressionism, La Bouille is also known as the birthplace of Hector Malot. Son of a village mayor and notary, Hector had extraordinary destiny during the first few hours of his life in 1830. According to legend, the bowsprit of a ship passed through the window of the infant's room. The author of Nobody's Boy (1878) had a special relationship with La Bouille for his entire life, referring to it many times in his works. The village now holds many traces of his work and various monuments dedicated to the Malot family. Jumièges: from ancient manuscripts to the reign of Arsène Lupin From Agnès Sorel and its ruins, magnified by romanticism, Jumièges has inspired literature since the Middle Ages. From Saint-Philibert and the "Légende des Enervés" de Jumièges to Victor Hugo, the village and more specifically the abbey have been regularly featured in literature. Having one of the most significant libraries, the Jumièges Abbey was a very powerful intellectual centre in the Middle Ages (a monk named Guillaume de Jumièges chronicled the era of William the Conqueror). In the 19th Century, Victor Hugo, who lived nearby, immortalised the white towers of the abbey church with the famous quote "the most beautiful ruin in France", but it is Maurice Leblanc who can be considered as "child of the village". Born in Rouen, he regularly spent his holidays with his uncle Achille (mayor of Jumièges) near to the abbey (the Grandchamp House still exists as the Tourist Information Office). Maurice Leblanc referred to the village various times in his work. An Arsène Lupin storyline also made reference to it in 1923. 5
Gustave Flaubert (12 December 1821 08 May 1880) A native of the region, the relationship between Rouen and Gustave could certainly be described as love-hate. A great lover of the city, the author successfully wrote about Rouen throughout his life, whilst remaining disdainful towards its inhabitants, particularly the 19th Century middle classes. Achille-Cléophas Flaubert, Gustave's father, was head surgeon at a hospital called Hôtel-Dieu de Rouen (current prefecture). The family lived in a house which was attached to the hospital (now the Musée Flaubert et d histoire de la Médecine, a medical and literary museum). A fter this, the family moved to the outskirts of Rouen, to Croisset, building a second home along the Seine which would subsequently become the famous "Gueuloir". The young man studied at the Rouen Royal College, now known as the Lycée Corneille. Through Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert provides a snapshot of middle-class society halfway between town and country. During the novel there are references to locations in the medieval city, such as the Beauvoisine quarter, the Rouen Notre-Dame Cathedral, Croix-de-Fer street and Eau-de-Robec street "that makes this quarter of Rouen a wretched little Venice". On his death, Flaubert was buried in the city's recently constructed cemetery, where the famous middle classes had built extravagant mausoleums - as a sort of symbol, the author's tomb was very simple. A successful novel, Madame Bovary has been translated into more than forty languages worldwide. Even now, there are various nods to Gustave Flaubert in Rouen and the surrounding areas: streets, statues, bridges and cultural sites - a resounding tribute to the great 19th Century novelist. 6
Corneille : one family, several authors Descended from the "noblesse de robe" (new aristocrats), the Corneille family came from Normandy and settled in Rouen at the end of the 16th Century. The birth house of Pierre Corneille is found at 4 rue de la Pie, near to the Old Market Square where the ruins of the Saint-Sauveur church, where Pierre was baptised, can still be found. The two brothers, Pierre and Thomas, lived in twin houses. Whilst Pierre is the most well-known, Thomas also had considerable success in the 1650s thanks to a varied theatrical piece which comprised of comedy and tragedy. Whilst Rouen is rarely mentioned in Pierre Corneille's work, it inspired him enormously. His works varied between poetry and playwriting. Various locations are now linked to Pierre Corneille, such as the Normandy Parliament where he was a lawyer, the eponymous Lycée where he studied, the private farm in Petit-Couronne, now the Musée Pierre Corneille, and his birthplace in Rue de la Pie. The Corneille family also had another writer, the son of Marthe Corneille (Pierre's sister), known under the name Fontenelle, a French academic and philosopher at the end of the 16th and 17th Century. 7
Rouen Simone de Beauvoir & Sartre A key 20th Century writer, Simone de Beauvoir taught in Rouen in order to be closer to Jean-Paul Sartre, a teacher in Le Havre. Living for some time at Rue du Petit Mouton, in a medieval hotel (an old female bathhouse), Simone de Beauvoir taught philosophy at the Lycée Jeanne d'arc - the first high school for young women - from 1932 to 1936. She usually took breakfast around the cathedral, and the Café Métropole, an Art Deco building next to the railway station, was her most famous haunt. Simone de Beauvoir recalled her tumultuous relationship with Olga, one of her students, in the novel "She Came to Stay". Transferred to Berlin, Sartre would regularly return to Rouen until both were transferred to Paris in 1936. From education to literature Rouen houses the unique Musée National de l'education de France, a museum dedicated to education. French literary talents were all previously educated at French schools. As a result, the museum is dedicated to the education of yesteryear. Between the 19th and 20th Centuries, the museum traces the changes to learning to write, French and other school subjects. A nod to the writers who sharpened their pens on the walls of the school with an inkwell and blotting paper... 8
Trip suggestions Day 1 - Rouen in the footsteps of Flaubert You arrive in Rouen railway station. Just for a moment, take in the atmosphere of Café Métropole, the famous haunt of Simone de Beauvoir where she would eat breakfast in Rouen. Visit the Musée Flaubert et d Histoire de la Médecine in order to learn about Gustave's childhood and his first literary works. Have breakfast on Rue Eau-de-Robec, the "little Venice" in Madame Bovary. Visit the Musée National de l Education, a tribute to literary education. A visit to Rouen around Flaubert and Madame Bovary. Overnight stay in literature-themed accommodation. Day 2 - Writing in the Seine Valley Leave on a cruise towards the Seine Valley, discovering the Flaubert Pavilion in Croisset and the village of La Bouille, birthplace of Hector Malot. Have a gourmet breakfast whilst admiring the Seine. Departure towards Jumièges. Visit the village and its legends. Presentation of the Saint-Pierre de Jumièges abbey and the 3D Jumièges application. Dinner in the village and an overnight stay in a hotel next to the Seine. Day 3 - Literary influences and historical context The Seine Valley and Normandy feature in the childhoods of various authors due to its historical, social or geographical context. Elbeuf left its mark on André Maurois - the Fabrique des Savoirs retraces the history of the textile town. The Corneille museum in Petit-Couronne recalls the family context and relationship between the 'noblesse de robe' and the Old Regime's attachment to land. Breakfast on the banks of the Seine. Reminder of Flaubert's famous "Gueuloir" from his pavilion in Croisset. 9
Rouen Normandy Tourism & Congress 25, place de la Cathédrale, CS 30666 76008 Rouen cedex 1 Tel. 0033 (0)2 32 08 32 40 Fax 0033 (0)2 32 08 36 56 Photos : JF Lange