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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fortifications of Caen, located in the Normandy region, are a major testimony of medieval military heritage. Their construction spread from the 11th to the 17th century, with a crucial phase in the 14th century after the bag of the city by Edward III in 1346. The inhabitants, authorized by Philippe de Valois, then rebuild the walls at their own expense, creating a stone enclosure flanked by 32 towers and protected by ditches. These works, often redesigned, reflect Caen's strategic and urban evolutions, particularly under the influence of Vauban, who calls them a "fortress on which one can rely".

In the 12th century, Caen consisted of several autonomous villages (Bourg-l'Abbé, Bourg-l'Abbesse, Bourg-le-Duc), unified by ramparts under Philippe Auguste. The castle, founded around 1060 by William the Conqueror, plays a central role with its iconic towers like the Puchot Tower or the Queen Mathilde Tower. The abbeys to men and women, founded in the 11th century, are also fortified, with walls delimiting their suburbs. Saint John Island, transformed into an artificial island in the 12th century by Robert Courteheuse, is protected by ramparts and towers like the Leroy Tower, connected by a chain to control access to the port.

The destruction began in the 18th century, with the gradual dismantling of the gates and towers (Porte Millet in 1755, Porte Saint-Étienne in 1758) to modernize the city. In spite of this, remains remain, such as the Ès-Morts tower or sections of walls discovered during recent archaeological excavations (2015, 2024). These discoveries, notably the bastion of the Fair or the court of the 16th century Place Gambetta, recall the strategic importance of Caen, marked by repeated seats during the Hundred Years' War and the wars of Religion.

The fortifications of Caen also illustrate the adaptation to military progress, with the addition of bastions in the sixteenth century (bastion of the Jesuits, bastion of the Circle) under the impulse of engineers like Jean Errard. These developments, although partially unfinished, have shaped the current urban landscape, where odonyms (Rue Porte-au-Berger, Saint-Julien ditches) perpetuate their memory. Their systematic destruction in the 18th and 19th centuries met challenges of urban planning and circulation, gradually erasing this defensive heritage.

Today, the classified remains (turn Ès-Morts, portions of ramparts) and archaeological excavations offer an overview of this complex defensive system. The fortifications of Caen, though fragmentary, remain a symbol of the city's resilience to conflict, while at the same time testifying to its evolution from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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