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Origin and history

The Château de Falaise, known as Château Guillaume-le-Conquerant, is a former castle of the 10th century, located in Calvados in Normandy. It is one of the first Norman stone castles, built on a rocky spur overlooking the Ante Valley. The cradle of William the Conqueror, born in 1027–28, it was a principal residence of the Dukes of Normandy and a symbol of their power. Ranked a historical monument in 1840, it combines defensive and palatial functions, with dungeons of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

The first stone fortifications, partly in fish ridge, date from the early 11th century (1019–1023), probably under Richard II of Normandy. The columnist Robert de Torigni evokes walls and towers built by Richard I in 960. In 1027, the castle resisted a siege during a rebellion by Robert the Liberal against Richard III. William the Conqueror was born there shortly after. In 1042 he was taken over by Raoul de Gacé after a new rebellion.

In the 12th century, Henri I Beauclerc (son of Guillaume) strengthened the castle: he built a chapel Saint-Nicolas, a vicomtal logis, and a large quadrangular dungeon (1123–1125), typical of Anglo-Norman architecture. This dungeon houses the Grande-Salle, a palace chapel dedicated to Saint Prix, and ducal apartments. Henry II, his grandson, added a second dungeon (the little dungeon) and flanking towers, transforming the site into a pleasure residence. In 1173–74, the castle served as a state prison for noble Bretons and King William the Lion of Scotland.

In 1207, after the annexation of Normandy by Philippe Auguste, a circular defensive tower (the Talbot Tower) was erected, following the principles of Philippian architecture. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was besieged in 1417–18 by Henry V of England and strengthened by the English (1430–40). In the 16th-17th centuries, it was partially dismantled and served as a stone quarry. A college was established there from 1809 to 1944.

Ranked in 1840, the castle was restored from 1864 by Victor Ruprich-Robert, disciple of Viollet-le-Duc. The bombings of 1944 destroyed the chapel Saint-Nicolas, but spared the dungeons. Between 1987 and 1997, a controversial restoration added a concrete and steel forebody, including a staircase and a drawbridge. Since 2013, a digital scenography (HistoPad) allows visitors to discover the castle as it was in the 12th century.

Today owned by the commune of Falaise, the castle is open to the public. It was used as a setting in 2020 for an episode of Secrets of History dedicated to William the Conqueror. Its 13th century castral enclosure, flanked by sixteen towers, and its three dungeons (large dungeon, small dungeon, Talbot tower) illustrate the evolution of medieval military architecture in Normandy.

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