Chaise de Gargantua de Duclair

Duclair

In the Seine valley, between Duclair and Hénouville, spurs of chalk draw a giant armchair. According to tradition, it is the chair of Gargantua: the giant sits there, his feet in the river, and travellers cross the Seine by stepping over his leg. Projections of chalk form the armrests. The place is old in the tale: Bernard Robreau, of the Société de mythologie française, notes that rocks near Duclair were already called ‘curia gigantis’, the giant's court, in 1188, before the giant bore the name Gargantua. He sees in this proof that the character existed in popular tales before the novel. Later, an engraving after the British painter William Turner, ‘La Chaise de Gargantua près de Duclair’, appeared in his series on the Seine, published in 1834. Other sites in the region bear the name of the same giant, such as the chairs of Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Taille and Saint-Adrien, or the Mont Gargan in Rouen. At Jumièges, mounds are said to be the ‘spadefuls’ of earth of the giant digging the bed of the Seine.

Getting there: Access not verified: the site is on the bank of the Seine, route de Duclair, at the hamlet of La Fontaine (Hénouville). Nothing indicates that it is developed; do not climb the chalk cliff. To be checked with the town hall or the tourist office.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound