Rouen is the capital city of Normandy, France. Located on the Seine, Rouen was founded by the Gauls as Ratumacos; after the Roman conquest of Gaul, it was renamed to Rotomagus. It became the second city of Gallia Lugdunensis after Lugdunum (Lyon) itself, and, under Diocletian, it became the province's chief city. In the 5th century, Rouen became the seat of a bishopric, and it went on to become the capital of Merovingian Neustria. In 841, the Normans overran Rouen, and it became the capital of the Duchy of Normandy in 912, remaining usch until Duke William the Conqueror moved the capital of Caen. In 1150, Rouen was granted a city charter and self-government. On 24 June 1204, King Philip Augustus of France entered Rouen and conquered Normandy for the French, and he demolished the Norman castle and replaced it with his own. Rouen became a center of the textile industry and became prosperous due to its location along a major trade route. In 1306, King Philip IV of France banished the 5,000 Jewish residents of Rouen, and revolts in 1291 and 1389 were crushed. On 19 January 1419, Rouen fell to the English king Henry V during the Hundred Years' War, and, on 30 May 1421, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen. In 1449, King Charles VII of France reconquered Rouen. Rouen remained staunchly Catholic during the French Wars of Religion, and King Henry IV of France and the English besieged the city in 1591-1592 and took it from the Catholic League's forces. The city was later subjected to heavy bombing during World War II, and the cathedral was nearly destroyed. In 2017, Rouen had a population of 110,145 people.
