From Caen to Juno Beach – Canada’s WW2 Odyssey in William the Conqueror’s Normandy (pt. 1)
Before William the Conqueror set his sights on England he revamped his holdings in Normandy. Rouen, the traditional capital of Normandy was supplanted by Caen, a formerly unimportant settlement in Calvados, as the home of the Dukes of Normandy. To accomplish this William built a massive castle, cementing the city’s place in the Norman landscape. Growing quickly from there, Caen quickly replaced the city of Bayeux as the capital of Lower Normandy. In 1066 William departed for England as part of a seaborne invasion that would not be matched until the Second World War, when an armada in the likes that the world would never see again reversed the grosses and took Normandy by storm from the shores of England, a reversal if there ever was one. Today the second city of Normandy has a population that nearly matches its cousin Rouen, a testament to Caen’s continued regional importance.
My visit to Normandy was meant to trace back the journey of my Canadian compatriots as they embarked on their original d-day target. As such, it should be no surprise that the first Norman city I would enter on my way to Juno Beach was equally linked to the Canadian army. In fact, Caen was the intended target of the Canadian army on D-Day. Although Canadian troops failed in their objective, they captured more territory on that first day than either the Americans or British armies.
*This post should be read in conjunction with from Caen to Juno (part 2), covering Juno Beach.
Table of Contents
History
This post will focus primarily on the history of Caen during both the Medieval Ages and the Second World War, the two most interesting periods in the city’s history. As such a brief history section has been provided for your convenience.
Medieval Ages
Caen was originally an unimportant Gallo-Roman settlement called Catumagos. The small village would first come to prominence in the 10th century as a center of commerce, under the reign of the dukes of Normandy. In 1060, William the Conqueror would begin the construction of his greatest castle, that of Caen, in order to fortify his French possession. It formed along with Rouen, the two centers of Norman power. The city, as well as the rest of Normandy, fell to Philip II of France in 1204.
Like Rouen, the city played host to much drama during the One-Hundred Years War, as the castle was besieged and held by the English on several occasions. At stake in this series of conflicts was the sovereignty of France and the rightful claims of the English kings. Due to the Norman conquest of England, English Kings held the deeds of French land, yet were Vassals of French Kings in their French domains. The situation was untenable and in 1346 it exploded into violence. The English swept through Normandy from the contention to the west to Calais in the east. The English encountered resistance at Calais resulting in the Battle of Caen. It was again captured in 1417 by the English but in 1450 it was recaptured by the French, never to fall to the English again. The One-Hundred year war was complete.
Second World War
Although Caen was the target of Canadian troupes during D-Day, the city would take a full month to be liberated from Nazi Germany. The town was heavily bombed by British and Canadian pilots and most of the historic city was destroyed. Failure to capture the town allowed the Germans to put up a fierce resistance and over 2000 French civilians would perish. A devastated Caen would take a full 14 years to rebuild and many of the new buildings took away from the quaint medieval charms of the downtown core.
What to do in Caen?
I arrived in Caen by train from Paris early in the morning. Famished I bit into a pastry and got on my way. With a busy day planned I had little time to waste!
Caen Castle
Sitting on a hill, located in the center of the city, Caen castle dominates the city. Since much of old Caen was pulverized this prized attraction will give you an understanding of the medieval city. Today the castle serves the city as a large public park surrounded by a ring road.
You can find a satellite image of the castle below:
Layout and History
As previously mentioned the castle was built in 1060. It is known for its massive size, a whooping 5.5 Hectares, making it one of the largest in western Europe. Its thick stone ramparts were the first to be built, and looms menacingly over the city. Most of what you see inside the castle was built at a later date. Surrounding the ramparts is a moat cut into the french limestone. Two gates provide entrance to the castle; La Porte St. Pierre – The gate to the city, located in the front of the castle and La Porte des Champs. – the gates to the fields, located on the west side. The entryways are protected by large rectangular barbarians and are separated from the castle via a moat.
William’s son, Henri I, expanded the castle adding the St. Georges chapel and the Keep. The keep was located at the back of the castle and centered on the ramparts but sadly no longer exists as it was torn down during the French Revolution. Although the building has been razed, you can still see its stone foundations and moat. The building is typical of Norman castle construction that you will find throughout England, square in shape with four towers on the corners. The area between the ramparts and the keep is the castle courtyard where most of the buildings are located. Today many have been converted into museums. Among these buildings you will find the St. Georges Church, the Exchequer, the Musée de Normandie, the Musée des Beaux Art (fine arts) and a Medieval themed garden.
At Exchequer once sat the court of Normandy, and serves today as an exhibition hall while the Normandy museum is a great place to inform yourself about the history of the region. As the Ducal castle, seat of the Duke of Normandy, the courtyard once hosted some of the most important receptions in the history of France. In 1182 the royal court of the Angevin dynasty assembled for Christmas in the castle. Henri II had both his sons over, Richard the Lion Heart and John Lackland as well as a thousand knights. Both men would become kings of legend, known colloquially as good king Richard and Bad King John!
The castle was captured by the French crown in 1204. This event would spell the end of Caen’s medieval importance. Although the castle was taken three times during the 100 year way, it no longer served as a ducal seat and little improvement would come to the complex. During the war Nazi troops used the castle as a barracks.
Old Caen
Nothing but a few streets are left of old Caen, unlike it Norman cousin Rouen. The latter city has luckily retained much of its timber framed medieval center. For those looking at a glimpse of whats left I recommend exploring l’Église Saint-Pierre de Caen facing the castle. Often mistaken as a cathedral it is in fact the largest building Bourg-le-Roi, yet it is is but a simple church. Construction on the Gothic structure began in the 13th century and was completed in the 16th. The bell tower was severely damaged during the second world war
Other religious buildings of note include l’Abbaye-aux-Hommes, l’Abbaye aux Dames, l’Église Saint-Sauveur de Caen, l’Église de Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux and l’Église du Vieux Saint-Sauveur de Caen.
L’Abbaye-aux-Hommes in particular is a Romanesque masterpiece. You can walk there via Rue Saint-Pierre, a major pedestrian shopping street or alternatively visit its counterpart l’Abbaye aux Dames on the other side of the city. Both were founded by William the Conqueror in the 10th century. The complex hosts the Hotel de Ville, the tomb of William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy and King of England) and l’Église of Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux, a ruined church. It was also used as a bomb shelter, offering refuge to the local population during the Second World War. L’Abbaye au Dames is a mirror of L’Abbaye-aux-Hommes and hosts the tomb of Matilda, Williams wife.
For those looking for some authentic Norman charm, you can find a small block of buildings south west of the castle on Rue du Vaugueux. This is one of the few authentic areas left in the city and is where I would recommend stopping for food or a drink. Its too bad not more of the original city is left as it is a very pretty.
Conclusion
After my visit to Caen I was off to the seaside town of Courseulles-sur-Mer by way of public bus. The beaches, named Juno were the landing place of Canadian troops during the Second World War and it was about time that I continued my journey to where it all started.
