Book excerpt: The following book revolves around the history of Rouen, a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. It was formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe. Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced a remarkable economic boom, thanks in particular to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by both the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive.