Pont-Audemer was born where the crossing of the river was easiest. Located between two arms of the Risle, this ancient Gallic city settled quite naturally at the junction of the Risle and the Roman road connecting Lisieux to Lillebonne. The town, first called Deux Ponts (two bridges) then Aldemari Ponte, quickly became an important trade hub in the region. The brotherhood of tanners settled there, and their leathers gave the city its reputation in the Middle Ages. The half-timbered buildings, typical of Normandy, flourished along the canals.