Abbaye aux Hommes et tombeau de Guillaume le Conquérant

Caen

It all begins with a forbidden marriage. Around 1050, William, duke of Normandy, married Matilda of Flanders despite the condemnation of the Church, which judged the union irregular on grounds of kinship. To obtain Rome's pardon, the couple undertook to found an abbey each in Caen: to Matilda the Abbaye aux Dames, to William the Abbaye aux Hommes, begun around 1063 and entrusted to Lanfranc, the great builder-monk of Le Bec. The church of Saint-Étienne that rose from it is a masterpiece of Norman Romanesque, whose twin-towered facade would inspire countless churches in England after the conquest of 1066. In 1087, the body of the Conqueror, who had died at Rouen, was brought back to Caen and buried in the choir — a funeral that remains famous for its chaotic course. His marble mausoleum was desecrated in 1562 by the Huguenots: the bones were scattered, except for a single thigh bone saved by a monk and placed in 1642 in a new tomb. A plain 19th-century slab now marks, at the foot of the high altar, the grave of the most famous of Normans. Rebuilt in the 18th century by the Maurists, the abbey became the town hall in 1965 — nine centuries of history around a single bone.

Getting there : Esplanade Jean-Marie-Louvel, in the centre of Caen (the abbey buildings house the town hall). Tram T1/T3, Guillouard and Hôtel de Ville car parks. Free admission to the church of Saint-Étienne; conventual buildings by guided tour.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound