About the middle of the Xth century, Richard Ist, surnamed
_Sans-Peur_, and third duke of Normandy, caused a palace to be erected
on the Seine, which consisted of a large tower and served at the same
time as a defence to the town. It was also the state prison. Henry Ist
added several buildings. Several fortifications had been previously
erected, the former being then called the Vielle-Tour (old Tower). This
tower was destroyed by Philip-Augustus; it was there, according to the
greater number of historians, that in 1204 the cruel John-Sans-Terre
caused his nephew, Arthur of Britanny, to be confined, and murdered him
with his own hand. The present _halles_ (covered markets) occupy the
greater portion of the site formerly occupied by the palace and the
_Vieille-Tour_, which has left its name to the two markets we are
presently going to speak of.
Those vast warehouses for different manufactures, called _halles_ (or
marts), were erected in the second half of the XIIIth century, about
the time when Lewis IXth fixed the fifth enclosure of the town of
Rouen. These marts are considered the most important in France. The most
considerable portion, and also the most ancient of the whole building,
is set apart for the sale of linen cloths. Its length is two hundred and
seventy two feet, by fifty in breadth. The roof is supported by two rows
of stone pillars. The two other marts, one for coton stuffs and the
other for worsted stuffs and cloth, are each two hundred feet in
length. These marts were open till about the year 1493, at which time
they were enclosed, to prevent vagabonds taking shelter in them. The
linen mart separates the market which is held on this place in to two
unequal portions. The larger occupies the north side, and is called the
_place de la Haute-Vieille-Tour_; it is reserved for the sale of old
linen, old utensils and particularly for the sale of crockery and glass
ware. The second occupies the south side, and is called the
Basse-Vieille-Tour, because it is considerably lower than the other
portion. Several kinds of eatables are sold here, especially fish.
There formerly existed a very beautiful fountain in the middle of the
higher place, which was composed of a triangular pyramid, surmounted by
a statue of Alexander; but not the least vestige of it remains. The
present fountain is supplied with water from the Gaalor spring.
Near the linen-mart, we observe a remarkable edifice, which projects
from the rest of the building, called the monument of Saint-Romain. This
structure however does not form part of the marts, to which it has not
the least resemblance. Neither did it form apart, of the palace of the
ancient dukes of Normandy, as some persons still believe. The style of
its architecture sufficiently indicates the time of its erection, namely
1542. The corinthian order of architecture appears in the whole height
of the building. It was on the first floor that the celebrated old
ceremony, called the _levee de la Fierte_, for the delivrance of a
prisoner, took place every year.[18]
In the neighbourhood of the linen and cotton marts, is the corn mart;
it is three hundred feet in length, its breadth being in proportion. It
is open three days in the week: mondays, wednesdays and fridays: the two
others marts are open only on fridays.
[Footnote 18: To have all accounts of this ceremony, see the work of Mr
Floquet, entitled: _Histoire du Privilige de Saint-Romain_, etc,--Rouen,
E. Le Grand, 1833, 2 vol. 8vo.]