Château de Caen, Caen, France

The Norman Château de Caen was built in c. 1060 by William the Conqueror, who successfully conquered England in 1066. His son Henry I then built the Saint Georges church, a keep (1123) and a large hall for the Duke Court. At Christmas 1182, a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula of Caen Castle brought together Henry II and his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, receiving more than a thousand knights. Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. Philip II reinforced the fortifications.The castle saw several engagements during the Hundred Years' War (1346, 1417, 1450).

The keep was pulled down in 1793 during the French Revolution, by order of the National Convention.The castle, which was used as a barracks during World War II, was bombed in 1944 and seriously damaged.In 1946, Michel de Boüard, an archeologist from Caen decided to start excavations in the area of the castle to bring to the light medieval traces. The musée des Beaux-Arts, which was installed in 1967, opened in 1971.

The castle was constructed on a hillock and is now in the middle of the city. With an area of 5.5 hectares, it is one of the largest castles in Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman strategy and policy.

Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the Museum of Fine Arts of Caen, Museum of Normandy along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history, Saint Georges church and the Exchequer of Normandy, used as a temporary hall of exhibitions, which seated the Court of Normandy.

There is also a garden showing plants cultivated in the middle-ages. The keep, now razed, had a large square section with round towers at each corner. As the castle, it was also surrounded by a moat. The top of the ramparts offers a splendid view of Caen. Some parts of the curtain walls were built during the 12th century, most of them date from the 15th century.

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User Reviews

Henrietta Woodhead (2 months ago)
Don’t visit now. Under extensive change and very little, including ramparts are accessible. Used to be my favourite place in Caen. To park for free inside the castle walls, stroll the ramparts, have a picnic and play in the playground. One of those amazing free french french experiences that sets this country apart from my own, the UK. I’m sure the new planned park at great cost will be fine but the special magic will be lost in the development . To me!

Susanna (4 months ago)
Great and free to walk around. Houses two museums and the fine art gallery (which are paid entry but we got free under 26 tickets). Some great views of Caen from the Ramparts.

Danish Zuhairi (8 months ago)
nice castle, but currently under renovation and lots of construction, many blocked paths :(

Arun Prashanth (8 months ago)
It's a very beautiful Castle you can see the city view from here and nowadays It's under construction.but can be visited.

Tiffany Marie (10 months ago)
Stopped by here in Caen because of its history with William the Conqueror. It was under restoration while we were there so not everything was open however I can't wait to see what it'll look like when finished.

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