We tested it for you...

See you at Square André Maurois. This is where we meet our guide… or rather our magician. After unluckily burning the list of participants, he has to make it reappear. We can then begin our tour.

Magic has been practiced throughout the world since antiquity. Perfected over the centuries, it is used to cast spells, summon spirits or even establish religious authority. Numerous sources show that magic was widely practiced in Egypt, a country whose treasures arrived viathe port of Rouen and some of which are on display in the Musée des Antiquités.

The tour continues past the Donjon de Rouen, remains of Philippe Auguste’s castle, built in 1204. It was precisely in the Middle Ages that magic became highly prized. Used by the nobility, they wanted to be entertained! Our magician guide thus evokes animals in magic, which he makes appear before our eyes or in our hands!

Arrived place du Chêne Rouge, we settle in for another round. From the Middle Ages to the present day, magic is everywhere in the street. Jugglers, strolling artists, sword swallowers, fire-eaters, you could already bet on the famous goblet game. Even today, bonneteau is still present in big cities: a scam that makes tourists lose a lot of money…

We then arrive in front of the Lycée Pierre Corneille. In the Enlightenment, ancestral rituals would be abandoned for more scientific practices. Physics and chemistry will help to modernize magic!

With humor and agility, the guide has the power to juggle tricks and historical anecdotes. Sometimes aided by his assistants, i.e. visitors, we are both spectators and actors in the magic tricks.

We were amazed to discover during the tour that Rouen was at the origin of the design of certain playing cards. These were exported to England, and then to the United States!

This original tour plunged us into the heart of Rouen life from yesterday to today. We loved rediscovering the city from a whole new, mysterious and fantastic angle!