Caen, Abbaye-Aux-Hommes

An attractive Normandy town, Caen has beautiful homes, abbeys, churches, and lovely modern buildings. Historical landmarks include the Abbaye-Aux-Hommes founded by William the Conqueror (in the 1000s); the Abbaye-Aux-Dames founded (1066) by William's wife Matilda. St. Stephen’s Church, Eglise St.-Etienne, the original church of the abbey, was built a thousand years ago.

In 1944, the battle for Caen lasted from the bombing on the 6th of June until the last German shell on the 20th of July. As in so many other places, they have done a very good job of reconstruction, but we wondered if the large landscaped square this side of the Abbaye-Aux-Hommes was a result of clearing away the rubble of buildings too damaged to repair. English speaking people we asked did not know, French speaking people spoke French, so we did not get (understand?) an answer to our question.