The whole area around the church- next to the Joan of Arc memorial cross- is well designed, elegant and functional. Even the roof drains into a waterfall bird bath. Inside is a lovely open plan church with fantastic relocated stained glass windows. Really something, inspiring space.

This church is located on the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, which is marked with a statue outside the church. The church has a futuristic, modern design and is almost unrecognizable as a church, especially with vendors lined up in the sanctuary. In a country with one Gothic church after another (there are several within a one mile radius in Rouen alone), I can appreciate some design that innovation. But the old city in Rouen commemorating a well-known medieval event just doesn’t seem like the right place for it. The monument itself to Joan of Arc, including a large cross to commemorate the cross she asked to view while the execution occurred, is moving, and the site itself is worth visiting, if not the church itself.

The memorial to Joan of Arc in Rouen is a strikingly designed church with a soaring angled roof, which is like a ship. Inside is totally modern in decor with beautiful stained glass windows some of which were from an old church. Outside is a small garden area where stands a spire monument. It is the location where Joan was burned at the stake. A sign in the garden states this. Definitely a must see.

When you first pass the Joan of Arc cross and see the ultra-modern church in her memory, your first impression is that the church is completely out of place with the context of the Place du Vieux-Marche. But once you enter and scope the interior, devoid of columns and extraneous support, you feel the spirit and reverence of the new, ca 1979, church. She would approve, I think. This is the place to reflect on her sacrifice to country.