Caen CastleChâteau de Caen

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.