Founded in the year 1063 by the famous Duke of Normandy and King of England, William the Conqueror, the Abbaye aux Hommes still stands proudly in the heart of the Norman capital, Caen. Consecrated in 1077, this Benedictine abbey now benefits from a classification and an inscription in the Historic Monuments.
Built with the aim of making the Pope forgive William's marriage to his cousin, Mathilde de Flandres, just like the neighboring Ladies' Abbey, since the 1960s it has hosted the services of the town hall of Caen.
This magnificent Gothic and Romanesque architectural ensemble built between the 11th and 18th centuries is one of the jewels of Norman art which has never ceased to inspire the construction of churches throughout the country.
During a visit, it is still possible to admire the Saint-Etienne church today, which became a parish church at the end of the 18th century, just after the French Revolution, the monastic buildings of the 18th century, the cloister, paneled rooms adorned with paintings, one of which now serves as a wedding hall, or the Guard Room.
Influenced by Lombard art, the abbey church which still houses the tomb of William the Conqueror is the worthy heir to all the architectural innovations proposed a few years earlier in the famous Norman abbey of Jumièges. Lovers of religious art will thus be able to discover an alternation of piers, vast vaulted stands or even a double-bay articulation.
The two large exterior towers, massive, are said to be linked to the history of England. It is said in fact that if one of them were to be destroyed, it would mean the end of the English crown!
Before setting out again to explore other Caen sites, it is possible to admire the old Ducal Palace, just behind the abbey, which now houses the city's art library.
