Caen Castle

Caen Castle dominates the city as one of the vast stone fortresses founded by William the Conqueror, built c. 1060 to project Norman ducal authority. More than a battlefield work, its broad enceinte enclosed a seat of power with halls, a church, and later gatehouses and towers that record shifts from Plantagenet control to the French crown. Scarred by sieges and modern war yet continually restored, the ramparts remain a defining civic landmark, with museums now occupying a place once made for rule.