Vernon - Office de Tourisme des Portes de l`Eure en Normandie

13 M
usée Alphonse-Georges Poulain
(City museum)
This is the only place where you can
see the original paintings of the Giverny
artists, Monet, Bonnard, Vuillard, Butler,
MacMonnies, and many others... Back
in Rue Carnot, proceed to Rue du Pont.
A.G. POULAIN. Museum consists of two
buildings: an old eighteenth-century
mansion and a large half-timbered,
fifteenth-century one. Opened in 1983,
the local history museum is one of the
few French museums to specialize in
paintings, drawings and sculptures depicting animals. Prehistoric, ancient and
medieval objects can also be seen there,
as well as paintings by Monet, Bonnard,
Rosa Bonheur…
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Château des Tourelles (Towel Castle)
Le Château des Tourelles, another testimony
of the medieval period (12th century). Built on
the right bank of the River Seine, this fortress
had to control and to protect the bridge giving
access to the fortified city of Vernon. This castle
was later used as a steel works, a flour mill and
a tannery.
(No visits)
Vieux Moulin (Old Mill)
Built on the former bridge, as many as five
mills erected on the bridge have existed
until the mid 19th century. The last mill that
remains was restored some years ago. (No
visits)
14 Rue
de la Boucherie (Butchers’ St)
Finally, on the way back to the Tourist
Office, the Rue de la Boucherie, off Rue
Carnot, is worth seeing. Together with
Rue Malot and Rue Carnot, this district
gives a very good idea of medieval town
planning.
www.cape-tourisme.fr
Office de Tourisme
des Portes de l’Eure ***
36, rue Carnot - 27200 Vernon
00 33 2 32 51 39 60
www.cape-tourisme.fr
information@cape-tourisme.fr
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uided Tour
Vernon
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avillon Bourbon Penthièvre (The
Penthièvre Bourbon House)
On the banks of the River Seine, the
Pavillon of Penthièvre is an eighteenthcentury residence where the Duke used
to come to listen to the grievances of his
subjects.
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Guided Tour Town Center
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5 R
ue des Erigots (Erigots St)
The name «Erigot» probably comes
from «ergot» (chicken’s spur). Located
near Butchers’ Street, this might have
been the place where chicken feet were
thrown away.
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1 C
ollégiale Notre-Dame (Our lady
Collegiate church)
Started in the late eleventh-century,
the Church was completed in the late
sixteenthcentury. Shaped as a cross, its
characteristics remind one of the architecture of the Romanesque as well as the
various Gothic periods : its façade, with a
beautiful flamboyant rose window, as well
as its triforium, were built in the fifteenthcentury, while its Lantern Tower dates back
to the thirteenth-century. Most of the original stained-glass windows were shattered
during the WW2 air raids. The Church was
restored on the City Council’s initiative and
is part of the cultural heritage of Vernon.
The modern windows are by G. HERMET
and M. JUTEAU, from Chartres. Spared by
the bombings of WW2, the streets around
the Church have retained theirpicturesque
half-timbered houses and rustic cobblestones.
2 R
ue du Chapitre (Chapter St)
At number 3 to 5, one can see the only
remaining two-story, half-timbered
house of the seventeenth-century where
the chapter members used to live. At the
corner of this street and the Rue Bourbon
Penthièvre, number 15 is a quaint sixteenth century house. Across the street,
one can notice several houses with their
first floor jutting out and corbelled attics.
3 R
ue Bourbon Penthièvre (Bourbon
Penthièvre St)
Situated at number 5 Rue Bourbon Penthièvre is Vieille Gabelle which formerly
housed the town’s salt cellar, hence
named The Old Salt Tax. This place which
dates back to the seventeenth century
is said to have belonged to the Duke of
Penthièvre, the last lord of Vernon.
6 R
uelle Malot (Malot Alley)
Ruelle Malot is what remains from a
medieval alley way is typical of what
medieval backyards used to look like.
7 T
emps Jadis (Old Time house)
Situated at the corner at the Rue Carnot
and Rue Saint-Sauveur. It was built in
the fifteenth-century with two corbelled
stories and an attic. On the corner post
one can admire a scene representing
The Annunciation, carved directly in the
wood. It used to be a café, the «Ancien
Café de la Ville», and now accommodates the local Tourist Office. This historic
building is now officially part of France’s
National Cultural Heritage.
8 H
ôtel de Ville (Town Hall) (Entrance
opposite the Collegiate)
Built in 1895, this building evokes King
Saint-Louis’ coming to Vernon with its
stained-glass window which can be seen
inside or from the back of the town hall.
On the first floor, the Wedding Room has
superb frescoes depicting local festivities, such as fruit picking intended for
local cider and wine production.
9 E
space Philippe-Auguste (Philippe
Auguste cultural centre)
Walk down the side of the town hall and
turn right into Rue Sainte-Geneviève.
Cross rue Albufera and then take rue
Riquier which will lead you to the Espace
Culturel Philippe Auguste. Inaugurated in
September 1992, it contains a reference
library with multiti-media collections
and accommodates the local music and
drama schools. Various art exhibitions
and many other events are also organized there from time to time.
10 T
our des Archives (Archives Tower)
As you go past the Espace Philippe
Auguste take Rue Victor Hugo on your
right. Situated in the Rue des Ecuries
des Gardes on the site of Vernon’s old
fortified castle all that remains today of
the former castle is a just over 72 feethigh tower - the Dungeon - built under
Philippe Auguste in the twelfth century.
In the eighteenth century the tower
was used to store the town’s notarial
archives, hence its name. After becoming
town council property in the nineteenth
century, the tower has undergone vast
restoration work.
11 R
ue Potard (Potard St)
Originally spelt POTART, from the name
of the Potart family. It was probably built
before the twelfth-century. It is lined with
half-timbered houses.
12 H
ôtel du Grand Cerf (Big Stag hotel)
In the old area called Le Vieux Bourg (the
Old Village), the Hôtel du Grand Cerf, a
fifteenthcentury place whose sign used
to bear the fleur-de-lis became public property in 1815. The building is characteristic of elegant eighteenth century inns.