The central sound of the word ‘Caen’ is similar to the central sound in the French pronounciation of ‘France’. If Caen is not prounounced properly, there is a danger that you could be uttering a very impolite French word !

Caen is the capital of the departement of Calvados and of the region of Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie).

History

Caen is allegedly the only departmental capital in France which was not also a Roman town. It was established at the confluence of the Orne and Odon.

It first reached importance as William the Conqueror’s capital. At the time it was a small place at the confluence of the Odon and Orne rivers, but well placed within Normandie and with a port. William built a chateau or fortress, and two Benedictine abbeys (built to placify the pope, Nicholas II, who had opposed his marriage to his cousin, Mathilde - the Abbaye aux Hommes in the west, and the Abbaye aux Dames in the east), and made Caen into a center of the Norman domains, which later included England.

Separate districts grew around these original buildings. The Bourg le Duc (Bourg le Roi après 1066) grew around the chateau. TheBourg l'Abbé and the Bourg l'Abbesse grew around the two abbeys. Otherwise, Saint Jean was situated between the arms of the RiverOdon and Vaucelles was on the other side of the river. This original structure, with the same boundaries, has been preserved in Caen today. And since its origins, the markets have always been held every week in the same places.

Caen was a strategic town in Normandy which was due originally to be captured on D-Day itself (early government reports on June 6. tried to suggest that Caen was just about to be captured). However, it was only actually taken during the period of 9-20 July amid heavy fighting - much of the town was destroyed.

Nevertheless, some of the old town does still survive, including the two abbeys (the chateau did have to be restored).

The French entered Caen, without resistance, in 1204, and all of Normandy had been retaken by them by the following year.

The English returned during the 100 Years War. In 1346 Edward III pillaged Caen, after which the French king ordered the fortifications to be strengthened.

In 1348/49 the plague arrived (and again in 1362).

A later English wave came under the Lancastrian Dynasty. Henry 4. besieged the town in 1417, leading to an occupation that was to last until 1450. During this period, in 1432, Henry V. founded the University.

After 15 days of siege, the French regained the city in 1450, under Charles VII. It appears that the English had been negligent in maintaining the town's defenses.

1467 Bretons

1477-1483, the plague

Fronde,

On 5. January 1789, a riot erupted after a traditional cake was banned

August 1789 Belsunce the keeper of the chateau, was lynched.

Caen has supported the Federalis Movement, but by the end of July 1793, Caen submitted to the Convention. Gilbert Romme

The 18. Century particularly (carrying on from some work in the 17th. century) was a period of intense construction. The principal monuments were restored, particularly the two abbeys, and squares were created - for example Place Royale, now Place de la République, and certain roads enlarged.

1832, 1849, 1854 outbreaks of cholera. Another outbreak in 1865/66. In 1870/71 there was an outbreak of smallpox.

After 1854, the Odon began to be covered over. Sewers

1855 Railway arrived, linking Caen with Paris

1857 Caen Canal (begun in 1838) On building Bassin St. Pierre (1880s), some stretches of Odon covered. Boulevard du Théâtre, Boulevard Saint-Pierre

1910 1926 Flooding of the Orne

1936 Tramway closed down (installed 1895)

18 June 1940 German troops arrive. On the 23 June the Kommandantur is installed in the Hotel de Ville. The Gestapo operate from the Rue des Jacobins.

9. July 1944 Allies bomb the town, causing 75% of Caen to be destroyed. The re-building takes 15 years. The Allies take the town, but Carpiquet Airport and Vaucelles remain in German hands until mid-August. 4000 people are killed in this action.

Two main thoroughfares between Orne and chateau, La rue Saint Jean (although following closely the old rue Exmoisine) and l'avenue du six-juin. Ponte du Marché, Ponte Saint-Martin now Place saint-Martin Pesmagnie

Chateau

The chateau was built on a rocky spur, at first it was had simple ramparts enclosing an area of 5 hectares.

Henry 1 built the Donjon and Salle de l'Échiquier

1172 Beckett

Henry II ducal prison

Abbaye aux Hommes

To placify the pope, who had opposed the marriage of William the Conqueror to his cousin, Mathilde, two Benedictine abbeys were built - the Abbaye aux Hommes in the west, and the Abbaye aux Dames in the east The abbey church of St. Etienne is to the right of the photo - it was started in 1066, but the spires at the back date from the 13. Century.

Entry to the church is free, but the actual monastery buildings (much restored in the 18th. Century) serves, since 1965, as the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall). It has also been, from 1804, a lycée. Tours of the Hotel de Ville take place four times a day, and cost about 1.50 Euro.

Much publicity is given to the fact that William the Conqueror’s tomb is in the Abbaye des Hommes, but not the fact that, due to desecration from Hugenots and French revolutionaries, he is not actually there any more. Some sort of mysticism surrounds that fact that the Abbaye des Hommes survived the bombing of July 1944 which destroyed about 75% of the town (while sheltering large numbers of the town’s inhabitants). It is probably more likely that the Maquis knew about the attack beforehand and had painted markings on the roof to ward off Allied aircraft (Nevertheless, a crashing aircraft claimed the church over the road, as a victim - the ruins are still there today).

The Abbaye aux Hommes was founded in 1063 was consecrated in 1077.

St Étienne is an important example of Romanesque styling that would be repeated at Durham and other sites in England.

Abbaye aux Dames

After the revolution, parts of the church were used for storing forage, and the Abbey was used for housing troops. In 1823, it became a hospital. One of the abbey's most famous residents was Charlotte Corday.

St Pierre

It spire is 72 meters high, and is a landmark over the plain surrounding Caen.

The clock tower was originally built in 1308, but this spire has been destroyed twice. In 1563, it was felled by a cannonshot intended for the chateau (in 1562, its windows had been destroyed). And in 1944, it was hit by a shell from the British ship Rodney.

Building was started in the 13. Century and finished in the 16. Century. In 1793, it became a Temple of Reason.

The photo at the right is an old picture showing the Odon, which used to flow on two sides of the church (The Odon is now covered within central Caen).

St Jean

St. Jean - the church, is a very interesting building. The front tower has leant considerably, as has various other parts of the building. The middle tower was left unfinished because of this reason. So inside is quite interesting as well, I was continually looking to see which parts were vertical/horizontal and which weren't.

So it is quite amazing that the church was about the only building to remain standing in St. Jean after the bombing (although it did threaten to collapse).

There is a burnt effigy of Christ on display in the cathedral, only the head and upper torso remain, which was found in the church afterwards, so the church definitely did not escape unscathed.

The original church had been badly damaged by the English during their occupation of the early 1400s

Les Quartiers Anciens

• Le Vaugueux Giovanna Gassion Edith Piaf rue Pierre - Robert
• la Rue Froide dates from the 11 century, at least. Saint Saveur
• la rue Ecuyève
• la place Saint Sauveur
• la rue Caponière
• la Place Malherbe.
• rue Vauqelin inhabited at one time by tanners, who moved out after public protest
• rue aux Fromages rue au Formage

Caen University

Henry V had thought of establishing a University, but it was founded in 1432 by Henry VI of England, who was then master of Paris and of a large part of France. The job of bringing it into being was charged to the Duke of Bedford. In the beginning it included only faculties of canon and civil law. To these were added, in 1437, a faculty of theology and a faculty of arts, and, in 1438, a faculty of medicine.

The English having been repulsed from Paris, Henry VI's purpose was to give the students the same advantages they would have found in Paris, and thus prevent their going to the university of the capital.

On the petition of the Estates of Normandy, Pope Eugenius IV granted a Bull of erection to the university (he was apparently dissatified with the Sorbonne) and appointed the Bishop of Bayeux as chancellor (30 May, 1437). All those admitted to degrees were required to take an oath of fidelity to the Roman Pontiff, and to pledge themselves never to attempt anything against the interests of the church.

The ceremony of inauguration took place on 18. October 1439, the first rector being an Englishman, Michael of Tregury, afterwards Archbishop of Dublin.

From the beginning the University of Paris opposed very strongly the founding of a university at Caen. In 1433 protests were sent to the chancellor of the kingdom and to the Parlement of Paris. The same year the delegates of the university to the council of Basle were instructed to ask for the suppression of the university at Caen. Later a petition was also sent to Eugenius IV. Notwithstanding this opposition, the university of Caen developed. In 1445 Henry VI declared it the only university in France enjoying the royal privileges.

When Caen was conquered by the French in 1450, King Charles VII allowed the university to continue as before. It was, however, a mere toleration until the king should reach a final decision. This was given on 30 October, 1452, when Charles VII created anew the university of Caen and gave it a new charter, ignoring altogether its former charter and privileges, and granting the same privileges enjoyed by French universities.

Like the other universities in France, the University of Caen ceased to exist in 1791 at the time of the French Revolution. The present university, founded in 1894, has fifty instructors and 750 students.

In 1957, a new campus was completed, north of the chateau.

Caen Canal

Caen Stone