About this place
Completed in 1979 to the design of architect Louis Arretche, the Église Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc rises in the centre of the Place du Vieux-Marché on the ground where Joan of Arc was burned. Its sweeping slate roof has been read as the upturned hull of a Viking longship, the tongues of a flame, and even a fish, all woven into one bold modern form. The real wonder waits inside, where thirteen luminous panels of sixteenth century stained glass line the wall. These windows once belonged to the nearby Church of Saint-Vincent, which was destroyed during the bombing of 1944, but the glass had been removed and hidden for safekeeping and was later given a second life inside this contemporary shell. Entry is free and the warm timber interior feels like standing inside an upturned ship.
Key facts
- 1979 year — The church was consecrated where Joan of Arc died
- 1944 year — Its stained glass was saved before Saint-Vincent was bombed
- 13 windows — Sixteenth century stained glass panels glow inside
📍 Place du Vieux Marché, 76000, Rouen