VARAVILLE - 1057
William's cunning against Henry I, King of France
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The Norman principality had become increasingly powerful. The King of France could no longer conceal his concern and decided to capture Normandy. In the spring of 1057, he came to support the Count of Anjou during a conflict with William over Mayenne. King Henry I advanced into the heart of Normandy and ransacked the land. After Caen, he returned eastwards alongside the Dives estuary. William was lying in wait in Falaise, having marched behind the French pillagers. Taking advantage of the rising tide, he took them by surprise at the Varaville bridge and, with help from peasants from Bavent, inflicted a humiliating defeat on King Henry. Upon the king's death in 1060, William, Duke of Normandy, was free from any further threat of invasion. He had become invincible.
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14390 VARAVILLE