The Butter Tower of Rouen Cathedral

The lofty Butter Tower (Tour de Beurre) of Rouen Cathedral rises above the network of cobbled streets and half-timbered medieval houses that characterise the centre of this town in Normandy, France. The tower owes its unusual name to its having been built with money raised through the sale of indulgences to eat butter during Lent. Much of the lower part of the cathedral was encumbered and obscured by rows of shops and houses which have since been demolished. In this image, a religious procession makes its way towards the great portal of the south transept. The artist, Thomas Colman Dibdin, was a London-based painter of landscapes and picturesque architectural views in England, northern France, Belgium and Germany.