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Origin and history

The abbey aux Hommes, or abbey Saint-Étienne de Caen, was founded around 1060 by William of Normandy, the future William the Conqueror, as part of a political strategy aimed at strengthening his power in Lower Normandy. It was built between 1065 and 1083, with the help of Lanfranc de Pavie, who became its first abbot. The abbey, dedicated to Saint Stephen, the first martyr, was conceived as a symbol of the ducal power and a place of burial for William and his wife Mathilde of Flanders.

The abbey played a central role in Norman and English history, benefiting from important gifts after the conquest of England in 1066. It became one of the richest abbeys in the duchy, with possessions in England and Normandy. The abbey church, a Romanesque style influenced by Lombard art, was remodeled several times, notably in the 13th century with the addition of a Gothic choir and arrows on the facade towers.

Over the centuries, the abbey suffered the consequences of wars, especially during the Hundred Years War, where it was fortified and then looted. After the wars of Religion, which caused great damage, it was restored in the seventeenth century by the Maurist monks. They rebuilt the convent buildings in a classic style, while respecting the Benedictine rule. The abbey was transformed into a high school in the 19th century, then into a town hall from 1961.

The abbey church, classified as a historical monument in 1840, retains major architectural elements, such as the 18th-century cloister, the 14th-century guard room, and the Ducal Palace. Conventual buildings, rebuilt by Maurists, illustrate the adaptation of abbeys to modern needs. Today, the Abbey aux Hommes remains a symbol of Caen's historical and architectural heritage.

The abbey was also a place of power and justice, sheltering institutions such as the Exchequer of Normandy. It served as a refuge during World War II, welcoming thousands of people during the Battle of Caen in 1944. After the war, it finally became the seat of the town hall, while retaining its religious role with the parish church Saint-Étienne.

Archaeological excavations and successive restorations have preserved this emblematic monument, which bears witness to the turbulent history of Normandy, its foundation by William the Conqueror to its contemporary role in the life of the country.

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