in Rouen, the Sublime House can be visited again
“Rouen is sublime, even more so when it rediscovers its hidden treasures. » In the courtyard of the courthouse, the mayor of the city, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, proudly welcomes journalists. On Friday April 29, the Sublime House, the oldest Jewish monument in France, is presented to the press, the day before it reopens to the public.
A long way
After its accidental discovery in 1976 during paving work on the Place du Palais de Justice, the Sublime House was the subject of extensive excavations. It is classified as a historic monument in stride. In 1980, it began to welcome the public. But, the day after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and following the implementation of the Vigipirate plan, it had to close its doors, only to reopen them twenty-one years later.
Today, the safety and accessibility devices are operational, bringing in work costing more than one million euros. “It’s a big day for us”rejoices Jacques-Sylvain Klein, delegate of the association La Maison sublime de Rouen.
→ ONE READ. The Sublime House, the Jewish memory of stones
Under a radiant sun, this former economic adviser to Laurent Fabius does not hide his ambitions for the monument. He is already preparing the official inauguration which will take place at the end of the year, for which he hopes the presence of the President of the Republic: “The Sublime House deserves this national tribute. » While waiting for the association in 2007, Jacques-Sylvain Klein was indeed to be a serious interlocutor for the Ministry of Justice. Today, it is witnessing an official recognition that would engrave in stone the historical importance of the place.
A heritage gem
Eight feet underground, the ruins of the House sublimate their mysteries. Sculpted columns, graffiti and imposing limestone slabs are presented in a delicately lit half-light. Wandering through the heart of this building of unknown use – rabbinical school? synagogue? single dwelling? – duration about thirty minutes. Accompanied by a guide, small groups could move between its reinforced walls in the 12th century. A Jewish building, the Sublime House also sheltered Christians after the edict of expulsion of the Jews of 1306. It has survived nine centuries and maintains the intrigues inhabit its walls.
Difficult to imagine the life that could animate it, so much the house seems buried. “We are currently at medieval ground level, 2.70 m below the current ground,” explains the guide as he descends the stairs. Looks like a cave and yet, as you move forward, the ruins turn into treasures. Here a sculpted column base reminiscent of Psalm 91 of the Bible, there a Hebrew graffiti quoting the book of kings…
Nothing catches the eye. Everything is sought and found by the light of a flashlight that the guide runs over the stone. The visitor then has the delicious impression of discovering the secrets of the house himself. From now on, at 36 rue aux Juifs in Rouen, there is an accessible, powerful testimony to the history of France.