DESTINATION:
Normandy
Although traces of pre-Roman culture still survive in part through some of its place names, the ancient Duchy of Normandy owes its name to the Norseman who occupied the region from the 10th century onwards. These hordes from the north proved to be the catalyst in developing a strong feudal system, establishing the French language and ultimately creating wonderful Romanesque and Gothic buildings which are still very much in evidence today. Cities such as Caen, Bayeux and particularly Rouen retain much of the characteristic architecture of this period, the origins of which were to carry influence far beyond the boundaries of Normandy itself.
Aside from sites of enormous historic and cultural interest, Normandy also boasts parks and gardens of aesthetic and botanical richness. The region’s geography, climate and clear light have drawn painters and horticulturalists alike, and it was in his garden in Giverny that Monet created many of the masterpieces which adorn the world’s great museums. Less well known, but equally rewarding to visit, is the Bois des Moutiers near Dieppe, an Arts and Crafts house and gardens, which bear the characteristic charms of its creators Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens.
Recommended duration – 4 nights/5 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- ROUEN – a walking tour of the city introduces the principal sites of this ‘city of one hundred spires’. Possibly most famous for its great Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame, which was the subject of a series of paintings by Monet. Other places of interest include the Old Market Square (Place du Vieux-Marché), where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431, the Palais de Justice, the Church of St-Maclou, the black and white timbered Cloister of St-Maclou which now houses the School of Fine Arts, and the picturesque streets with their traditional half-timbered buildings.
- MUSÉE DES BEAUX ARTS – the museum is one of the finest provincial museums in France and the core of the collection derives from the many works taken from religious establishments in and around Rouen during the French Revolution. The 17th century is well represented with works by Caravaggio, Velàsquez and Poussin and there is a notable Impressionist gallery with works by Monet, Renoir and Sisley.
- GIVERNY – the renowned house and gardens of Claude Monet where the artist lived for 43 years until his death in 1926. The garden he created was a central feature of his life and the inspiration for many of his paintings, the two major features are the Clos Normand in the upper garden, in front of the house, and the water garden, where the Japanese Bridge and water lilies of his paintings still remain.
- CAEN – in the mid-11th century Caen became the favoured residence of William the Conqueror and Queen Matilda, and despite the destruction of three-quarters of the city during World War II, much of their creation remains.
- BAYEUX – the highlight of which is surely the Tapestry, a glorious and evocative work tracing the Norman conquest of England.
- NORMANDY BEACHES – to include the main British landing sites, the Pegasus Bridge, and Museum and the British Cemetery at Ranville. The Pegasus Bridge Museum is dedicated to the parachutists who were the first to land in the invasion of Normandy. At Arromanches, from the top of the cliff, there is a magnificent view of the harbour, and the remains of the artificial port are today a poignant reminder of the events of 06 June 1944. The Musée du Débarquement was set up to honour the technological skill achieved by the British in creating the artificial harbour.
- JUMIÈGES – for a visit of the ruins of the Abbaye de Jumièges. The abbey was founded in 654 and once housed 900 monks and 1500 servants. The main abbey church dates from the 11th century; its consecration in 1067 was a major event, with William the Conqueror in attendance.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- HONFLEUR – an attractive town that became a centre of artistic activity in the 19th century. Eugène Boudin, the painter of stirring landscapes, was born here in 1824, and artists such as Courbet, Sisley, Pisarro, Renoir and Cézanne all visited Honfleur, often meeting at the Ferme St-Simeon (now a luxury hotel).
- FLORAL DES BOIS DES MOUTIERS (Varengeville) – situated on the high ground above Dieppe, this landscaped and botanical garden was designed for Guillaume Mallet at the end of the 19th century. The house is an early example of the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens, and the gardens (1898) show the combined influences of both Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll to create their only collaboration outside the United Kingdom.
- JARDIN DE VASTERIVAL (near Dieppe) – this private garden of exceptional botanical richness was created by the Princess Sturdza and remained her lifelong passion until her death in 2017. Lying on the hillside with a valley running down to the sea, it has been designed as a woodland garden of glades and copses planted to display form and foliage as well as flowers.
FURTHER AFIELD
- CHÂTEAU D’EU – this Renaissance style chateau was built by Henri de Guise and completed in 1665. In the 19th century it became the summer residence of King Louis-Philippe, and it was here on two separate occasions that he received Queen Victoria. The estate was owned by the Princes of Orleans until it became the property of the municipality of Eu, and now houses both the Town Hall and the Museum. In the wing of the château open to visitors you can see the apartments decorated by Viollet-le-Duc from 1874 to 1879 for Louis-Philippe’s grandson, the Comte de Paris.
- CHÂTEAU DE MESNIL-GEOFFROY – built in the 17th and 18th centuries for the Princes of Montmorency Luxembourg, who were related to the royal family. In addition to the châteaux there are also magnificent gardens, which include a Rose Garden dedicated to rose scents. A blaze of colour from late May to the end of September there are over 2500 roses from almost 2000 different varieties.
- CLOS DE COUDRAY (ETAIMPUIS) – a stream flows through this wonderful collection of over 7,500 species of plants, containing a riverside garden, rockeries, a garden of exotic plants and a magnificent rose garden.
- CHÂTEAU DE MIROMESNIL (Tourville sur Arques) – this historic château, built after the battle of Arques (1589), was the birthplace of Guy de Maupassant. It is situated in the middle of a wooded park dominated by a giant cedar tree from the 17th century and boasts a splendid kitchen garden.