Rouen, << roo ON >> (pop. 110,117; met. area pop. 665,249), is a city in France that is both a major industrial center and a treasure house of artistic masterpieces. It lies in northern France, on the banks of the Seine River.
Rouen’s many industries include food processing, petroleum refining, shipping, and the production of chemicals, medicines, metals, paper, and textiles. A magnificent Gothic cathedral built between the 1200’s and 1500’s stands near the center of Rouen. The city has several other beautiful old churches, art museums that house outstanding collections, and a university. The Gros-Horloge, a huge clock dating from the 1300’s, is another landmark. Rouen serves as the capital of the Seine-Maritime department (administrative district) and the Normandie (Normandy) region.
A settlement existed at what is now Rouen in ancient times. In 1431, the English—who controlled Rouen at the time—burned Joan of Arc at the stake in the city. Rouen suffered heavy damage in World War II (1939-1945), but was rebuilt after the war.
