Old Saint-Sauveur church, Church ruins in Rouen, France
The Ancienne Église Saint-Sauveur is a ruined church located on the Place du Vieux Marché in central Rouen, France. What remains today are parts of the walls and foundations, partly covered with plants, embedded into the paving of the public square.
The first version of the church dates back to the Carolingian period, and a Romanesque church was built on the same spot in the 11th century. The building was later rebuilt in Gothic style at the end of the 15th century, then closed during the French Revolution, used as a saltpeter factory, and demolished between 1793 and 1795.
The ruins of the old church are built into the layout of the Place du Vieux Marché, a busy square where people shop and walk every day. The old stones sit right next to the modern church of Saint Joan of Arc, making the contrast between past and present easy to see.
The ruins sit directly on the Place du Vieux Marché and can be seen freely from the surrounding pavement without any entry requirement. Signs on site give short explanations to help visitors understand what they are looking at.
The remains of the church were rediscovered during archaeological excavations in the 1970s, after the structure had been gone for nearly two centuries. The playwright Pierre Corneille, one of France's most celebrated writers, once served as a churchwarden here.
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