Come stroll with me ...

... through the town of Vernon, which sits on the Seine in the département of Eure.   Read on ...

Back in February, I brought you to this lovely little town, and I left you sitting on the bank of the river in the shade of a vast tree with a view of an ancient mill.  You can read that post Here. I'm back again today because there's more to see, and I'm heading straight into the centre of town.  It's a gentle 10-minute or so stroll.  From my shady spot, I take rue d'Albufera, which leads to rue Carnot.  At the junction, I take a left, and the road into the centre of town immediately narrows and is pedestrianised.  The Boulangerie et Pâtisserie on my left is where I bought the absolutely scrumptious amandine that I had for lunch.

If you follow the rue Carnot, you eventually come to Place Adolphe Barette, a wide square that houses the town hall and what is now the parish church of Notre-Dame.  The building of this magnificent edifice began in the 12th century and continued until the 1500s.  This church is considered to be one of the most beautiful remaining examples of medieval architecture in the whole of France.  The time taken to complete the church means that there are numerous styles of architecture encompassed within and without its walls.

The stunningly flamboyant rose window of the front facade dates from the 15th century. It sits above two galleries in the main body of the church. With the sun in exactly the right aspect, the colours of the window harlequin the floor of the nave.  The nave itself is also 15th century.  The altar and the transept are Romanesque in style, as can be seen from the steadfastly round arches.  The rest of the building is a stroll through Gothic fashion - Early, Flamboyant and Perpendicular - with its high pointed arches over windows, intricate masonry work and what some may consider to be overly ornamented carving.

The organ dates from the 17th century and has been heavily restored. But here in the main body of the church, the stained glass windows are not as expected. They are abstract and were installed in the 1970s to replace those that were destroyed by the blanket bombing of the 39/45 war in Europe. However, if you take a step to the right and go into the second chapel, you will find some of the original glass from the 16th century.

The newer windows may be fabulous examples of modern art, but give me the original medieval glass or the Burne-Jones examples from the 19th century anytime.  Such examples are much more in keeping with the style and decorative masonry that is on display here in Vernon.

Stepping outside into the sunshine again, it takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the brightness.  And in front of me is the magnificent town hall.  But I'll save that for another post.

If you enjoyed this post, come with me to the towns of Joinville  Argentan or Pont de l'Arche  Just click the links...