Guillaume-Le-Conquérant

Caen Castle was built by William of Normandy around 1060, between his victory over the rebellious barons (at Val-ès-Dunes in 1047), his successful resistance to threats from the exterior (in Varaville, in 1057) and a short time before the Norman Conquest (1066).
The duke, already an indisputable conqueror, needed a second capital to counterbalance the city of Rouen and to exert his authority over Western Normandy.
He chose Caen, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Orne valley and controlling the surrounding access routes. It was to become his fortress, rapidly enclosed with stone walls across a vast, five hectare holding. It dominated the town founded by his grandfather, Richard II. It embraces the palace where the duke held his court and whose 11th Century vestiges were unearthed during archaeological excavation work.
The castle, together with the two abbeys which William and Matilda chose as their final resting place, transformed Caen into a genuine dynastic foundation.
The fortress was to be further enhanced with the Hall of the Exchequer, and reinforced with the addition of the great keep in typical Anglo-Norman style, both built by Henry I, William's successor to the Dukedom of Normandy and the Crown of England.

Address:
Château Ducal
14000 Caen
mdn@ville-caen.fr
www.chateau.caen.fr

Opening hours and rates:
Open all year round
enclosure from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (7 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays)
North Rampart from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in winter and from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer

Free access