Rouen Cathedral

Rouen is famous for its 11th-century cathedral with its striking Norman tower and 14th-century embellishments which was captured on canvas in every mood and light by Monet. Monet moved here to be with his brother in 1872 and at the peak of the Impressionist period painted the cathedral, the river, the factories—all acclaimed paintings, many of which now hang in the Musée Marmottan in Paris. Many other masters (Caravaggio, Velasquez, Fragonard, Géricault, and Sisley) were also inspired by the city and Rouen’s Musée des Beaux-Arts has a wealth of their art on display.