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Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre-du-Châtel church, located on rue Camille-Saint-Saëns in Rouen, is a 15th century Gothic building. She derives her name from Châtel, reference to the castle of Rollon, the first Count of Normandy, who once occupied this site. The church, rebuilt several times, was distinguished by its nave with southern collateral, its tower-closing adorned with eight statues of prophets, and a carved wooden vault, unique in Rouen. It was severely damaged during the Allied bombings of 1944, leaving only the eastern spans and part of the structure standing.

In 1791, during the Revolution, the church was sold as a national property to Jean-Baptiste Payenneville, a merchant. In the 19th century, it served as a store and then a stable, while its furniture and stained glass windows were scattered. In 1922, five of the eight statues of the tower, saved by public subscription, were transferred to the departmental museum of Antiquities. The building, which was listed as a historical monument in 1926, was further damaged in 1951 during urban works, resulting in the unreconstituted dismantling of its apse.

Since 1958, the town of Rouen has owned it. In 2016, the preserved spans and beams were brought up on site. A rehabilitation project launched in 2019 plans to integrate a restaurant and guest rooms into the ruins, while rebuilding the original structure. Preventive excavations, carried out by Inrap at the end of 2024, precede this work estimated at €3.8 million. Among the elements preserved off site are statues at the Museum of Antiquities, paintings by Adrien Sacquespée at the Museum of Fine Arts in Rouen, and stained glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The church is also linked to François-Adrien Boieldieu, a composer baptized in his walls in 1775. Its history reflects the political, urban and cultural upheavals of Rouen, from the medieval period to the post-Second World War reconstruction.

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