RSS
Home
Caen, a Norman treat
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
When William of Normandy set out from France in 1066 to conquer England, it was from his hilltop royal home, which became a fortress in 1204. All that remains today of the Conqueror's castle are the ramparts, the chapel and the great hall of Henry I. Like the ruins of William's castle in East Yorkshire, the castle fortress in Caen is an imposing sight, hovering over the city. Inside the walls are lovely gardens and museums.
Caen is a charming university town in the center of Normandy. Much of the town was destroyed by fire during the battle of Normandy in 1944, but the city has been carefully restored and is now a mix of the old and the new.
The Normandy landing and battles against the German troops are vividly memorialized in the Caen Memorial, a major museum dedicated to World War II and peace in the future, located in the northwest section of the city. The Memorial features a moving half-hour film of the landing with a split screen showing both the efforts of the Allies and the defense put up by the German troops.
Caen's most beautiful churches are the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and the Abbaye-aux Dames, built by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda, respectively. William and Matilda were cousins whose marriage was opposed by the pope. When the pope relented, each built an abbey as penance for their marriage. Matilda's Abbaye-aux Dames is a beautiful church, with simple, elegant lines, founded in 1063. The more imposing Men's Abbey was founded by William in 1066 or 7. It is built of local Caen stone, which was also used for Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
A special treat on a recent visit was a foie gras market. Farmers from the neighboring counties had brought their duck foie gras - fresh, in tins, or in glass containers - to Caen. Samples (small ones to be sure) were handed out and once tasted, the product was hard to resist. Foie gras is not exclusive to Alsace or the southwest of France, and it always tastes good, especially good when accompanied by a little glass of Calvados, the special drink of Normandy.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
