Saint-Maclouin 360°

Built for the most part between 1437 and the early 16th century, the Church of Saint-Maclou is regarded as one of the finest Flamboyant Gothic buildings in France. Its curved west front, spread across five delicately carved porches, is unique in Normandy, and lovers of Gothic architecture travel from all over the world to see it.

It stands on Place Barthélémy, in the heart of the antiques quarter and barely three hundred metres from Rouen Cathedral. Together with the Aître Saint-Maclou, a 16th-century plague cemetery and charnel house, it forms one of the most visited heritage sites in the city. If you are looking for things to do in Rouen in a single day, the walk from the cathedral to Saint-Maclou, the aître and rue Damiette is hard to beat.

Badly damaged by the bombing raids of 1944, the church was patiently restored over several decades. Its carved Renaissance wooden doors, attributed to the workshop of the Le Roux brothers, and its Flamboyant organ staircase came through the centuries almost intact.

The 360 tour produced by JUUMO takes you where visitors never go: the balconies and walkways above the nave, the oak roof timbers, and above all the lantern tower, whose vaults soar over the chancel. Thirty-six very high definition panoramic scenes make up the route.

An audio guide and short films by a local guide accompany every scene: the history of the parish, the vocabulary of Flamboyant Gothic, the secrets of the restoration. It is an ideal way to prepare for a real visit, and a way to explore the building for anyone who cannot travel to Rouen.

The virtual tour of the Church of Saint-Maclou is completely free, and works on a phone, a computer or a VR headset with nothing to install. The church itself is open to visitors during opening hours, on Place Barthélémy in Rouen, Normandy.