18 Mar 2015
This Saturday, 21st March, The Historial, Joan of Arc History Centre will open in Rouen, Normandy. The museum will be housed in the magnificent 15th century Archbishop's palace which has undergone a complex and sensitive restoration that began in 2013 and lasted nearly a year.
The story of Joan of Arc, French heroine and Catholic Saint, is intrinsically linked with that of Rouen. It was here that she was tried and burnt at the stake in 1431 and, after a second trial in 1456, exonerated. The legacy of Joan of Arc can be found throughout the city from the Place du Vieux Marché, where she met her fate and which today has a church in her honour, to the Archbishop's palace where both her trials took place.
The €10 million museum project combines a state of the art immersive exhibition space with comprehensive historical content, inviting the visitor to step back in time to the 15th century and become a witness and participant in Joan of Arc's trial.
Visits will be conducted in groups of up to twenty-five people per group and four groups per hour and will be accompanied with audio guides, available in different languages. An educational centre will be available for both school groups and families.
Rouen, Normandy's medieval capital is rich in heritage and culture from Joan of Arc to Richard the Lionheart and to Claude Monet. Normandy offers a huge choice of outstanding foodie experiences and Rouen boasts three Michelin starred restaurants. At just over an hour by train from Paris and a short drive to the ferry ports of Le Havre and Dieppe, Rouen and the surrounding area is easily accessible from the UK. What's more, with the current exchange rate at its strongest since 2007, this is the perfect time to hop across the Channel.
For a dedicated press pack including more information about The Historial, Rouen and the Seine Valley, please click here: bit.ly/RouenSVpresspack
You can watch a trailer of the Historial here: bit.ly/HistorialTrailer
For more information about Normandy, please visit: www.normandy-tourism.org
-ENDS-
For information or images of Normandy please contact:
Maggie McNulty
UK and Ireland Press Officer for Normandy
Maggie.mcnulty@atout-france.fr
Tel. +44 (0)20 7061 6637
Mobile +44 (0)7956 518 806
Twitter https://twitter.com/NormandyPRUK
