Memories in stoneThe living history of Normandy
Over the years, Normandy has been shaped by the turmoil of human history. From the Roman invasion of Gaul to the Normandy landings of 1944, via the Viking invasion, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Seine Valley is no exception, and the vestiges of the past are there to bear witness.
Listen to the clamor of the Gallo-Roman theater at Juliobona (now Lillebonne). The cries echo all the way to the walls of Saint-Wandrille Abbey. The Benedictine monks respond with their songs of today to the Convers brothers of the Valasse Abbey of more than nine centuries ago. Overlooking the Seine, Catherine de Médicis works hard in the corridors of the Château d’Ételan to have her son’s majority recognized and make him King Charles IX, even though he is only 13 years old. From Villequier, where he mourns the loss of his daughter, Victor Hugo waits for dawn to set off along the paths that lead him to the church of Notre-Dame de Caudebec-en-Caux… A lace of stone, according to the illustrious writer.
It’s hard to say whether walls have ears, but stones certainly have memories. Let us tell you their little stories, which are often part of the big story.
