In Rouen (Seine-Maritime), Gustave Flaubert is undoubtedly the man of the year.
The one to whom we celebrate the bicentenary of the birth with numerous exhibitions and appointments has benefited since the beginning of the summer from an application in his name: "Flaubert is not dead".
And to prove that he is alive and well, it is the Rouen-Normandie tourist office which has asked the Rouen company Norseman Interactive to concoct a game of which it has the secret in the footsteps of the illustrious writer.
A completely free application for those who download it.
"We were supported by a historian with whom we worked to create the games and puzzles that punctuate the course", specifies Pierre Layet, one of the two linchpins of this independent studio to which we already owe Rouen Enigma and Rouen Impressions, two sets of tracks operating on the same principle.
“The idea is to enjoy a themed walk in the city using your smartphone,” continues the 36-year-old developer.
Read also In Rouen, an Emma Bovary house in homage to Gustave Flaubert
Using a geolocation system, "Flaubert is not dead" therefore proposes to follow a route of approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in the streets of the city center and to make a loop starting from the Cathedral Square, a place where Emma Bovary had a date with her lover Léon before traveling the city in a cab… "We try to vary the pleasures, to mix archival documents, references to novels and anecdotes about the author's life," says Pierre Layet .
We can therefore have fun photographing the statue of the great man and adding filters, go through the Corneille high school where he studied, take a detour to admire the bust of his friend Louis-Bouilhet, object of a public clash with the municipality, worthy of current social networks ... A little too far out of the way, the Flaubert museum, where the writer's childhood home is located, is not on the program.
But can be a great addition for those who would like to take it a step further.
As a family or in small groups
Adriana Cavalli managed this file for the office, which invested nearly 15,000 euros for the occasion.
For her, “this type of product is more and more what those who come to visit the city are looking for.
We saw it with the enthusiasm that there was for the audio guide.
In families or in small groups, people like to be able to stay together in complete autonomy ”.
Its manager, Marion Rabiller, adds “that the health crisis has amplified this phenomenon.
It's more reassuring to walk with people you know directly ”.
Note that an English version is in preparation.
