35 times a stage town
Prefecture of Calvados (14)
Population: 108,500 (Caennais and Caennaises)
Personalities: François de Malherbe (court poet), Eugène Poubelle (prefect), David Hockney (painter), Patrick Verbeke (bluesman), Laure Adler, Alain Duhamel, Alain Génestar, Mathieu Lindon (journalists), Vincent Barteau, Alexandre Pichot (cyclists).
Specialities: Caen-style tripe, Biscuiterie Jeannette (madeleines), calvados, embuscade (calvados-based cocktail).
Sport: Stade Malherbe de Caen (football, Ligue 2), HC Caen Drakkars (ice hockey), Caen TTC (table tennis), Caen HB (handball), Caen BC (basketball), Étoile Sportive Caennaise and Caen Vélo Club (cycling). Events: Tour de Normandie cycling, Caen Open (tennis), Liberté marathon, Caen BMX indoor, Perch Xtrem (athletics), Normandy Channel Race (sailing).
Festivals: Caen Millenium (Opera Parade, Maritime Weekend, Aquanauts show, etc.), Nordik Impact (electronic music, November), Beauregard Festival in Hérouville, Aspects des Musiques d'aujourd'hui (March), Les Boréales (Nordic culture), Plenum international organ festival, Carnaval Étudiant (Europe's largest student carnival).
Economy: two major groups, Société métallurgique de Normandie (SMN) and Moulinex, have left their mark on the town's industrial history. Their decline in the 1990s prompted the town to reorientate itself towards the tertiary sector (Promodès), tourism and cutting-edge industries (Large National Heavy Ion Accelerator). Port of Caen-Oustreham. Electronics (Philips then NXP). Valéo, Orange.
Labels: Reconstruction heritage in Normandy / UNESCO Creative City of Digital Arts / 3rd best student city in France in 2024 according to L'Étudiant magazine / 2nd best city in France in 2023 for education, sport and health according to L'Express magazine / Top 25 destinations to visit in 2025 according to the British newspaper The Telegraph / Villes et Villages Fleuris 4 Fleurs / Grand Prix for the Tree 2024
Nickname: the city of a hundred bell towers (like Rouen, a rivalry that's hard to shake).
Websites: caen.fr, www.caenlamer-tourisme.fr
CAEN AND CYCLING
Visited by the Tour de France 35 times since 1905, Caen had not had a taste of the race for 19 years since Oscar Freire's bunch sprint win, the second of the Spaniard's four victories in the Tour. The first winner in Caen in 1905 was forgotten pioneer Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq, second in the 1904 Tour and 3rd in the 1905 Tour. Nicknamed "The Gazelle", he was also the first non-Italian to win a stage of the Giro in 1910.
As for the rest, sprinters have almost always won in the Normandy town, except in 1976, when Giovanni Battaglin managed to break away from the peloton in the finale to win solo. Three years later, the Italian won the polka dot jersey and finished 6th overall. A traditional stage in the Tour de Normandie, the prefecture of Calvados also hosted a Paris-Caen race from 1902 to 1946, won by some of the biggest names in pre-war cycling (André Leducq, Benoît Faure, René Le Grevès).
Among the cyclists from Caen, two colourful characters rubbed shoulders with each other in the Renault-Elf-Gitanes team in the 1980s. Vincent Barteau, one of the great entertainers of French cycling, wore the Yellow Jersey for twelve days in 1984 and won a stage in Marseille on 14 July 1989. A consultant thereafter, he recently published an autobiography with the evocative title Complètement Barteau (Totally Nuts).
He teamed up in 1985 with Thierry Marie, a native of Bénouville, 20km away. A prologue specialist, Marie is one of just 25 riders to have worn the leader's jersey in three Grand Tours. Winner of six stages in the Tour de France, he also achieved the second longest winning breakaway in the event between Arras and Le Havre in 1991, covering 234km on his own.
We should also mention Alexandre Pichot, who took part in the Tour de France in 2009 and 2014.
SIGHTS:
Caen Memorial
Opening: 1988.
History: the idea for a Peace Memorial came from the Mayor of Caen, Jean-Marie Girault, in 1964. On 10 September 1986, the first stones of the building were laid on the site of the command post of General Wilhelm Richter, commander of the 716th German Infantry Division during D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The building was inaugurated on 6 June 1988 by French President François Mitterrand in the presence of the heads of state or government of eleven other countries.
Characteristcis: this "museum for peace", originally designed by the architect Jacques Millet with the help of the museum designer Yves Devraine, brings together a collection of over 8,000 objects and over 100,000 documents, mainly relating to the Second World War, mainly in Europe. The permanent exhibits are organised chronologically and thematically, with the Shoah taking centre stage. The forecourt at the entrance to the museum is flanked on one side by flagpoles bearing the flags of the main countries involved in the Battle of Normandy, and on the other side by a display case showing the twelve "foundation stones" of the building, extracted from the ground by each of the twelve nations concerned, and adorned with a lapidary inscription in each of their languages. The Norwegian stone differs from the others in that it has not been cut and was offered still covered in moss, as a symbol of absolute respect for life.
Listed as: Musée de France.
Caen Castle
Construction: 1060.
Style: medieval.
History: William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, made Caen the capital of his duchy and built a citadel on a limestone rock overlooking the Orne valley. However, the castle seems to have been more a princely residence where the duke-king expressed his power and prestige than a fortress with an established military role. Reinforced in the 12th century, the castle passed into the hands of the kingdom of France under Philip Augustus in 1204, and the king carried out major works on it. As a royal residence, the building played an administrative role. In military terms, it was frequently captured over the centuries. After the Revolution, it was transformed into barracks and a military prison before being opened to the public and housing Caen's two main museums.
Characteristics: the stronghold, established at the tip of the plateau, takes the form of a vast enclosure flanked by mostly square towers, the oldest, and to the south-east and west by semi-circular towers, the most recent. To the west and south, it follows the escarpment overlooking the old town centre, which has been carved out to be steeper. To the east, a moat has been dug into the rock.
Listed as: historical monument in 1997. Listed natural site.
Abbaye-aux-Hommes (Men’s Abbey)
Construction: 1060.
Style: Romanesque.
History: the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and the Abbaye-aux-Dames (Men’s Abbey and Ladies Abbey), large Benedictine monasteries, were founded by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda in reparation for the irregularity of their marriage, which had been denounced by the Pope. William entrusted the construction of the two abbeys to Lanfranc, the Benedictine monk who built Le Bec. The abbey church of Saint-Étienne, although altered in the Gothic period, is a remarkable example of Norman Romanesque architecture. It was the inspiration for many English churches built after the Conquest of England in 1066. William is buried here. After many disasters, the monks of Saint-Maur took control of the Abbey at the end of the 17th century and decided to rebuild all the abbey buildings. Saved from bombardment in 1944 because it served as a health shelter for the people of Caen, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes became the Town Hall in 1965.
Characteristics: The former abbey church of Saint-Étienne became a parish church after the French Revolution. The conventual buildings, converted into a secondary school in the 19th century, have housed the town hall since the 1960s. The abbey is a fine architectural ensemble, built between the 11th and 18th centuries, and the impact of Saint-Etienne's church is essential to the history of art in Normandy and England.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1840 and 1911.
Abbaye aux Dames (Ladies Abbey)
Construction: 1060.
Style: Romanesque.
History: founded around 1060 by Matilda of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy and wife of William the Conqueror, the Ladies Abbey was home to Benedictine nuns until the French Revolution. After the revolutionary period, the conventual buildings were used in turn as barracks, a begging depot, a hospital in 1823 and then a hospice in 1908. They were restored in 1984 and a few months later became the offices of the Basse-Normandie Region. Since 1 January 2016, the Abbaye aux Dames has been the headquarters of the Normandy Region.
Characteristics: The abbey church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity and consecrated on 18 June 1066, is a masterpiece of Norman Romanesque art, although it was remodelled in the 19th century. Queen Matilda lies buried in the choir under a slab of black Tournai marble. The capitals of the apse feature a variety of fantastic animals from a medieval bestiary.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1840 and 1976.
Saint-Pierre Church Construction: 13th to 16th centuries.
Style: Gothic and Renaissance.
History: the work was spread over several centuries, but the overall unity of the building was maintained, and some of its remarkable features can still be seen today. The tower was built in 1308, the right wing in 1410, the left wing shortly afterwards, and the great portal or Portail Neuf in 1384. The north façade was adorned with a huge rose window in the 14th century. The 14th century also saw the construction of its famous Gothic bell tower, considered to be "the king of Normandy bell towers" and which would influence many other monuments. The aisles and upper sections of the nave were built in the 15th century in the flamboyant style. Under the direction of Hector Sohier, work began on the apse, built on stilts on the River Odon, and on the choir vaults and wings in 1521, which were probably completed half a century later. Contrasting harmoniously with the rest of the building, it is one of the most perfect examples of the early Renaissance in Caen.
Characteristics: Gothic and Renaissance architecture dating from the 16th century, with pointed and pointed arches and then full arches. An overhang at the back of the church, behind the nave, is built on pillars. This shallow chapel is reminiscent of the fairly low nave with simple vaults. A particular feature of this church is the apse, designed so that visitors have four stained glass windows in their field of vision, as opposed to the usual three or five.
Listed as: historical monument in 1840.
Maison des Quatrans
Built: 1460.
Style: Renaissance.
History: in 1458, Jean IV Quatrans sold a plot of land to Michel Le Fevre, a wealthy tanner from Caen. On this plot of land and another adjoining one, he had a house built around 1460 with a long façade overlooking one of the town's main streets. To the south of the courtyard, along the Petit Odon, was a tannery. In 1541, the staircase tower in the courtyard was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In 1944, during the Battle of Caen, the roofs were blown off during a bombardment and the masonry was badly shaken. The house and adjoining grounds were listed in 1953. Restoration work was haphazard. In 1945, the Historical Monuments Administration launched a procedure to acquire the building and set up its agency there in 1953. Today, Maison des Quatrans is home to a number of cultural associations, including Far, a regional music agency.
Characteristics: this house is one of the few surviving examples of medieval civil architecture in Caen. For aesthetic reasons, only the façade facing the street is timber-framed. Each storey projects slightly above the one below. The façade is very plainly decorated, allowing a maximum number of openings onto the street. At the rear, the staircase is housed in a polygonal tower surmounted by a rectangular upper chamber resting on Caen trunks, typical of the region.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1953.
Hôtel d'Escoville
Style: Renaissance.
History: this town house was built in 1533 by Nicolas le Valois d'Escoville, a wealthy grain merchant. This eccentric landowner drew on a wide range of inspirations for his residence. One of the four walls features two figures taken from scenes in the Bible: Judith holding the head of Holofernes, and David brandishing the head of Goliath. Elements inspired by mythology are also scattered throughout the building. Finally, more esoteric symbols (a skull and crossbones) suggest that the master of the house practised alchemy. In 1652, the Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles Lettres was founded within the walls of the mansion. It was the first provincial literary academy to be founded, eight years after the Académie Française. The building was later used as the town hall, then as a stock exchange after the Revolution, and today as a tourist office.
Characteristics: the severe facade overlooking the public thoroughfare conceals one of the most typical 16th-century residences. In the courtyard, the loggia, high roofs, lanterns and dormer windows are typical of the Renaissance.
Listed as: historical monument in 1862.
TO EAT:
Caen-style tripe
In the 11th century, tripe already delighted William the Conqueror, who enjoyed this rich dish with a Normandy apple juice. Tripes à la mode de Caen is attributed to his cook, the monk Sidoine Benoît from the Men’s Abbey in Caen, where he is said to have invented the recipe. He began to cook the beef stomachs, to which he added the beef feet and aromatic condiments. This basic recipe is still followed today, except that the monk added the fat from two beef kidneys. Very hearty and tasty, the dish quickly became popular. From the 13th century onwards, brotherhoods of tripe makers developed. The "golden legend" of Sidoine Benoît's invention spread and Rabelais wrote about it in his novel Gargantua.
However, it wasn't until the 19th century that this Caen-style tripe recipe was revived by a chef called Marie Bernard, born in Caen in 1851.
The dish became a symbol of Norman cuisine and spread throughout France thanks to the fairs and markets held in the cities. It was a Norman, Christian Pharamond, who made the recipe famous by opening a restaurant in Paris bearing his name.
Since 1951, there has been a brotherhood dedicated to tasting and promoting Caen-style tripe: the Grand Ordre de la Tripière d'or.
