Bois-Guillaume, commune in Seine-Maritime, France
Bois-Guillaume is a commune in Seine-Maritime near Rouen in northern France. It sits on hilly terrain with residential areas mixed with green spaces and historic buildings that represent various periods, with a population of around fourteen thousand.
The town was founded around 1040 and long remained connected to the Sainte Trinite church dating from the 13th century. In the 19th century, the church underwent an unusual 180-degree rotation of its orientation to accommodate growth, a transformation not widely known until a German priest documented it in 1941.
The name comes from a house built around 1040 by the mother of William the Conqueror. The town maintains its Norman identity through its coat of arms, which features two lions from the ducal family and wheat representing the agricultural heritage.
The town connects easily to surrounding areas by bus and bike paths, making walking or cycling pleasant ways to explore. Key sites like the church, the Carmel chapel, and the presbytery serve as good starting points for a walk through different historic areas.
The Sainte Trinite church had its orientation reversed in the 19th century, with the choir facing east instead of the typical west, a rare change that went unnoticed until a German priest documented it in 1941. The presbytery, an 18th-century timber-framed house, was extensively restored between 1991 and 2010 after decades of decay and now hosts art exhibitions.
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