Photo : Nikater / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Château de Caen
Caen castle rises on a rocky spur overlooking the lower Orne valley, in the Calvados. Duke William, the future William the Conqueror, founded it around 1060, more as a ducal residence and assertion of power than as a mere fortress. Henry I added a great keep in the early twelfth century, then Philip Augustus remodelled its defences after the capture of the town in 1204.
The keep was partly demolished in 1793; from 1877, the site served as barracks. It has been the property of the City of Caen since 1956. Covering about five and a half hectares, it is enclosed by ramparts punctuated by eleven square towers and two round towers, restored in several stages since 2004.
Inside are the Exchequer hall, the Governors' lodging and the church of Saint-George. Two museums occupy the enclosure: the Musée de Normandie and the Fine Arts museum. The garden of simples, a reconstruction of a medieval garden, completes the visit.
