Normandy
Caen
Caen was shaped by William the Conqueror, monastic foundations, markets and royal fortification, then devastated during the 1944 Battle of Normandy and rebuilt as a modern regional centre. This guide keeps the medieval and wartime stories distinct so neither becomes a backdrop for the other.
Stories in Caen
- Caen Castle — William Builds a Power Base
- Abbaye aux Hommes — Conquest, Penance and a Royal Tomb
- Abbaye aux Dames — Matilda’s Side of the Dynasty
- Saint-Pierre — A Parish Church for the Civic Centre
- Vaugueux — A Surviving Fragment of the Old City
- Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux — Ruin as a War Memorial Without a Plaque
- Place Saint-Sauveur — The Market Square That Mostly Survived
- Mémorial de Caen — From D-Day to the Problem of Peace