Dive into the heart of the stories of the Vikings of Normandy: the immersive city of Rouen opens its doors

According to the founders of the concept, this is the first link in an ambitious future network aimed at promoting regional heritage and promoting cultural decentralization. On the right bank of the quays of the Seine in Rouen (Seine-Maritime), at the foot of the bridge fortuitously named William the Conqueror, the Viking immersive city of hangar 105. A new cultural venue of around 1,000 square meters, showcasing the history of the Vikings and medieval Normandy through a unique immersive scenography.

The route, which is structured through several rooms punctuated with audiovisual content and archaeological artifacts, is intended to be “the synthesis between an amusement park, a museum and a show”explains Jean Vergès, co-founder and president of Immersive Cities. “We live there, we feel there, we play there, we learn there, without ever sacrificing anything to the scientific rigor of the content and the presentation of the history of the Vikings.” In the GEO History magazine n° 75, Who were the Vikings really? (May-June 2024) on newsstands, GEO also met Vincent Samson, medieval historian, specialist in ancient Nordic civilization and scientific advisor to the project.

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The Vikings in Normandy through numerous stories

A main plot emerges: the history of the birth of the Duchy of Normandy in the 9th century, under the era of the Viking Rollo (or “Rolf the Walker”, 846-932), who converted to Christianity in Rouen in 911. “What is interesting in the history of the founding of Normandy is the integration of the Vikings into the political, economic, cultural, religious system within the territory”, insists Jean Vergès. For at least two centuries, the region became one of the most powerful in Europe, governing England through William the Conqueror (1027-1087), Sicily, part of the Mediterranean basin… The small duchy became a real crossroads on the continent.

But the newly proposed complete visit ultimately revolves around several stories of characters in costume, embodied by actors in video sketches. The actor Pierre-Alain de Garrigues, famous for numerous dubbings of cartoons, video games and even on the Internet, is one of them.

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In the dark “Room of Smoking Ruins”, where smoke covers the floor, several parallel narratives confront each other around the subject of the bloody raids of the men of the North: that of a Viking boasting of his heroism and his bravery, chanting a poem inspired by 13th-century Icelandic sagas; that of a good sister, terrified by the siege of Paris in 885; that of a “mytho” monk, describing having seen the “demons of the Apocalypse” with their forked tongues and their horns; that of a peasant, finally, who only seeks one thing, that his family, his livestock and his land be protected, whether by a Viking or a lord.

In one of the following spaces, the “Camping Room”, you have to sit in a majestic longship made of wood to listen to the adventures of an explorer, present to qualify the words heard previously; the Vikings were not only barbarians with weapons in their hands, they were also traders, ambassadors, mercenaries hired by foreign powers… The story of a naval craftsman is there to represent the importance of the famous longship in Scandinavian culture, when a staged exchange between three women sheds light on their role in Scandinavian society of the time.

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Another jump in the visit to the “Norman Heritage Room”, where by sitting around a table, the visitor enters into an intimate discussion with Rollo, played by Philippe Torreton. It allows them to understand how the Vikings managed to overcome the political, cultural, religious constraints that were theirs to create a rich, flourishing and prosperous region. The room is also one of the most recreational, with games to discover more about taxes and laws, explorations and their paths as well as Scandinavian/Norman recipes. With sometimes, it must be said, some freedoms assumed and declared.

Objects, videos, games… Immersive dive into the Viking universe

In addition to these narrated stories and these animations, each space is dotted with swords, axes and authentic archaeological objects, most of which are presented in chests that the most curious will dare to open. Of the easter egg (“Easter eggs”), little things hidden in the route intended for children – but also older ones – add to the wide variety of visual and audio stagings soliciting in one way or another other the spectator.

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Video capsules nicknamed “runes” were also produced with videographer Benjamin Brillaud, from the YouTube channel Nota Bene, adding information to the themes covered during the visit. It ends (almost) with the “Room of Dreams”, undoubtedly the high point, the most impressive and immersive moment: in 200 square meters equipped with beanbags, fifteen video projectors project their 360° images on the floor, wall and ceiling, immersing us in four stories around the Vikings, from territories from Iceland to Sicily.

The approximately 1.5 hour tour thus fulfills its promise of a technological experience for all audiences, different from what is found in traditional museums. While those who love history may be left wanting more, fans of both educational and fun activities and, above all, families, will certainly find what they are looking for here.

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The objective for the team Immersive Cities is, in the next five years, to open around ten similar places. Ideas emerge around themes, all anchored in the territories: cinema in Canne, Joan of Arc in Orléans, champagne in Reims, queens of the Middle Ages in Angers… Until then, the Viking immersive city will offer various events to energize the Rouen quays. Already, on the occasion of its opening, various activities are offered with the installation of medieval stalls and Viking tents, or the organization of concerts and a béhourd fight, a “sporting version” of historical reenactments.

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