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Cover illustration: Detail, Liber authenticus sacratissimae utriusque sexus christifidelium confraternitatis septem dolorum beatae mariae virginis nuncupatae, Archives of the City of Brussels/Archief van de Stad Brussel, Historical Archives/Historisch Archief Register 3413, fol. [2]r.

In the century after 1450, the cities of France experienced a period of prosperity and autonomy, which led to the development of a thriving urban culture. In Rouen, one of France's largest cities, this urban culture was highly developed. This thesis examines Rouen's urban culture and places it in its historical context, with reference to the social, political and religious environment. In the process, the thesis addresses two important questions-the nature of the relationship between popular and high culture within the city, and the relationship between the provincial culture of Rouen and national cultural developments.Before about 1530, Rouen's culture can be described as communal. All of the different forms of cultural activity shared the same basic mentality. With continuing prosperity and new cultural and technological developments, different aspects of Rouen' s cultural life developed in different directions. Rouen' s festive life developed into a thriving popular culture centred around the Abbaye des Conards, which was made up of artisans and merchants. Initially operating fairly freely, it developed a symbiotic relationship with Rouen's Parlement during the religious wars, before declining due to internal and external factors.Rouen's high culture had been centred around the confrerie de Vlmmaculee Conception, which, since the end of the fifteenth century, had held an annual contest of devout poetry. Although dominated by Rouen's elite, it had a wide appeal, and attracted poets of national reputation. While it remained traditional after 1530, some

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