Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Comparateur de territoire
INSEE, retrieved 20 June 2022. making Caen the second largest urban area in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and the 19th largest in France. It is also the third largest commune in all of Normandy after

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...

and Rouen. It is located inland from the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...

, north-west of Paris, and connected to the south of England by the Caen (

Ouistreham Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France. Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders th ...

) to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most d ...

ferry route. Caen is located in the centre of its northern region, and it is a centre of political, economic and cultural power. Located a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resorts of Deauville and Cabourg, as well as Norman Switzerland and Pays d'Auge, Caen is often considered the archetype of Normandy. Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

, who was buried there, and for the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

, heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, destroying much of the city. The city has now preserved the memory by erecting a memorial and a museum dedicated to peace, the Mémorial de Caen.

History

Early history

Caen was known in Roman times as 'Catumagos', from the Gaulish roots ''magos'' meaning 'field' and ''catu'' meaning 'combat'. It remained a minor settlement throughout the Roman period and began to see major development commence in the 10th century, under the patronage of the Dukes of Normandy. Around 1060,

began construction of the Château de Caen, which became the centre of the ducal court. Duchess

Matilda of Flanders Matilda of Flanders (french: link=no, Mathilde; nl, Machteld) ( 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was t ...

also founded the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen The Abbey of Sainte-Trinité (french: Abbaye de la Sainte-Trinité), better known as the Abbaye aux Dames, is a former nunnery in Caen, Normandy, now home to the Regional Council of Normandy. The complex includes the Church of Sainte-Trinité ( ...

around the same time, eventually being buried in the abbey. Caen succeeded Bayeux as the capital of Lower Normandy, complementing the second ducal capital of Rouen. Caen fell to Philip II of France on 21 May 1204, and was incorporated along with the remainder of Normandy into the Kingdom of France.

Hundred Years' War

In 1346, King

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...

led his army against the city, hoping to loot it. It was expected that a siege of perhaps several weeks would be required, but the army took the city in less than a day, on 26 July 1346, storming and sacking it, killing 3,000 of its citizens, and burning much of the merchants' quarter on the Île Ste-Jean. Only the castle of Caen held out, despite attempts to besiege it. A few days later, the English left, marching to the east and on to their victory at the

Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...

. It was later captured following a siege by

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

in 1417 and treated harshly for being the first town to put up any resistance to his invasion. In 1450 towards the end of the war, French forces recaptured Caen.

Second World War

During the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War, Caen was taken back from German forces in early July, a month after the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

, particularly those by British I Corps on 6 June 1944. British and Canadian troops had intended to capture the town on D-Day. However they were held up north of the city until 9 July, when an intense bombing campaign during

Operation Charnwood Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8 to 9 July 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Operation Overlord (code-name for the Battle of Normandy) in the Second World War. The operation was i ...

destroyed 70% of the city and killed 2,000 French civilians. The Allies seized the western quarters, a month later than

Field Marshal Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and th ...

's original plan. During the battle, many of the town's inhabitants sought refuge in the ''Abbaye aux Hommes'' ("Men's Abbey"), built by William the Conqueror some 800 years before. The spire of the Church of Saint-Pierre, Caen and the university were destroyed by the British and Canadian bombing.

Postwar

Postwar work included the reconstruction of complete districts of the city and the university campus. It took 14 years (1948–1962) and led to the current urbanization of Caen. Having lost many of its historic quarters and its university campus in the war, Caen does not have the atmosphere of a traditional Norman town such as Honfleur, Rouen, Cabourg, Deauville or Bayeux. The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit filmed the D-Day offensive and Orne breakout several weeks later. It returned several months later to document the city's recovery efforts. The resulting film, ''You Can't Kill a City'', is preserved in the National Archives of Canada.

Etymology

The very first mentions of the name of Caen are found in different acts of the dukes of

: ''Cadon'' 1021/1025, ''Cadumus'' 1025, ''Cathim'' 1026/1027. Year 1070 of the Parker manuscript of the ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of A ...

'' refers to Caen as ''Kadum'', and year 1086 of the Laud manuscript gives the name as ''Caþum''. Despite a lack of sources as to the origin of the settlements, the name Caen would seem to be of

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...

origin, from the words ''catu-'', referring to military activities and ''magos'', field, hence meaning "manoeuvre field" or "battlefield". In Layamon's ''Brut'', the poet asserts that

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

named the city in memory of Sir Kay.

Geography

Caen is in an area of high humidity. The river Orne flows through the city, as well as small rivers known as ''les Odons'', most of which have been buried under the city to improve urban hygiene. Caen has a large flood zone, named "La prairie", located around the hippodrome, not far from the river Orne, which is regularly submerged. Caen is from the Channel. A canal ( Canal de Caen à la Mer) parallel to the Orne was built during the reign of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

to link the city to the sea at all times. The canal reaches the

. A lock keeps the tide out of the canal and lets large ships navigate up the canal to Caen's freshwater harbours.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Caen proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Caen absorbed the former commune of Venoix in 1952.

Main sights

Castle

The castle, '' Château de Caen'', built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror, who successfully conquered England in 1066, is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman strategy and policy. At Christmas 1182, a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula of Caen Castle brought together Henry II and his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, receiving more than a thousand knights. Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. The castle saw several engagements during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

(1346, 1417, 1450) and was in use as a barracks as late as the Second World War. Bullet holes are visible on the walls of the castle where members of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

were shot during the Second World War. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the ''Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen'' (Museum of

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

of Caen) and ''Musée de Normandie'' (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history. (See )

Abbeys

In repentance for marrying his cousin Mathilda of Flanders, William ordered two

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The c ...

s to be built on the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

's encouragement: * Eglise St.-Etienne, formerly the ''Abbaye aux Hommes'' (Men's Abbey). It was completed in 1063 and is dedicated to

St Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

. The current ''Hôtel de Ville'' ( town hall) of Caen is built onto the South

Transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

of the building. * ''Eglise de la Ste.-Trinité'', formerly the ''Abbaye aux Dames'' (Women's Abbey). It was completed in 1060 and is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The current seat of the regional council ('' conseil régional'') of Basse-Normandie is nearby.

Others

* Jardin botanique de Caen, a historic

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

* Church of Saint-Pierre * Church of Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux *

Church of Saint-Jean de Caen The church of Saint-Jean de Caen is the parish church of the Saint-Jean district in Caen, France. It was classified as a historical monument in the list of French historic monuments protected in 1840.Gervais de La Rue, Essais historiques sur la vi ...

* ''Mémorial pour la Paix'' ("Memorial for Peace") built in 1988, a museum charting the events leading up to and after D-Day. It is an emotional presentation inviting meditation on the thought of

Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel (, born Eliezer Wiesel ''Eliezer Vizel''; September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in F ...

: "Peace is not a gift from God to man, but a gift from man to himself". The Memorial for Peace also includes an exhibit of

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolo ...

winners and another one on

Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information abo ...

in different cultures. *

Parc Festyland Parc Festyland is a relatively small theme park situated within the Caen ringroad (A13/A84) in Lower Normandy, France. Sometimes referred to as being in Carpiquet in Greater Caen, the theme park receives approximately 110,000 visitors a year. ...

, an amusement park to the west of Caen in the nearby town of

Carpiquet Carpiquet () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Caen – Carpiquet Airport is located in Carpiquet. Geography Carpiquet is on the western side of the Caen metropolitan area. The town is div ...

. The park receives 110,000 visitors every year. * Mondeville 2 is a regional shopping centre in adjoining Mondeville. * Medieval wooden houses * Colline aux Oiseaux, a floral parc located on the former dump of the city of Caen

Administration

Mayors of Caen In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

have included: * 1945–1959: Yves Guillou, Rally of the French People * 1959–1970:

Jean-Marie Louvel Jean-Marie Louvel (1 July 1900 – 13 June 1970) was a French engineer and politician. 1900 births 1970 deaths People from Orne Politicians from Normandy Popular Republican Movement politicians French Ministers of Commerce and I ...

, MRP and Centre Démocrate * 1970–2001: Jean-Marie Girault,

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

and UDF * 2001–2008: Brigitte Le Brethon, RPR and UMP * 2008–2014:

Philippe Duron Philippe Duron (born 19 June 1947) is a French politician. He was the mayor of Caen between 2008 and 2014 and deputy for Calvados's 1st constituency. Philippe Duron received a degree in history in 1975 and was a teacher until 1997. His polit ...

, PS * 2014–present: Joël Bruneau, The Republicans Joël Bruneau was re-elected mayor in the 2020 municipal elections. In 1952, the small commune of Venoix became part of Caen. In 1990, the agglomeration of Caen was organized into a district, transformed in 2002 into a ''

Communauté d'agglomération An agglomeration community (french: communauté d'agglomération) is a government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of intercommunality, less integrated than a métropole or a communauté u ...

'' (''Grand Caen'' (Greater Caen), renamed Caen la Mer in 2004), gathers 29 towns and villages, including Villons-les-Buissons, Lion-sur-Mer, Hermanville-sur-Mer, which joined the Communauté d'agglomération in 2004. The population of the "communauté d'agglomération" is around 220,000 inhabitants. In the former administrative organisation, Caen was a part of 9 cantons, of which it was the chief town. These cantons contained a total of 13 towns. Caen gave its name to a 10th canton, of which it was not part. Since the 2015 canton reorganization, Caen is part of the cantons of Caen-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Transport

Public transport

Twisto Twisto is the urban transport network of Caen Including about sixty bus lines and 3 tramway lines
Twisto - Les Mobilités de Caen la mer

Rail

Caen also had several main and

branch railway A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An indust ...

lines linking Caen railway station to all parts of Normandy with lines to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, Vire, Flers, Cabourg, Houlgate, Deauville, Saint-Lô, Bayeux and

Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Febr ...

. Now the SNCF is taking care of Paris-Caen-Cherbourg, Caen-Rouen, Caen-

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

-Tours, Caen- Rennes and some others small line
Normandie. Derniers ajustements pour les nouveaux horaires des trains en 2020
while Railcoop will soon open new lines such as Lille-Amiens-Rouen-Caen-Rennes-Nantes and Paris-Caen-Brest making Caen railway station his hub of the North-Wes

Caen railway Station is the second busiest of Normandy after Rouen's one

Air transport

Caen - Carpiquet Airport is the biggest airport in Normandy considering the number of passengers and flights that it serves every year. Most flights are operated by HOP!, Volotea and the French

national airline A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. His ...

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global a ...

operates flights to the French cities of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

, Nice, Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Biarritz, Ajaccio, Figari, Bastia and Calvi
Air France va proposer 5 destinations depuis Caen-Carpiquet en 2022

Water transport

Caen is served by the large port of

, lying at the mouth of the Caen Canal where it meets the

. A cruise/ferry service operates between

, England, and Caen/Ouistreham running both standard roll-on-roll-off car ferries and supercat fast ferries, with the latter making crossing from March to November. The ferry terminal is from Caen with a daytime shuttle bus service for foot passengers. There's also a cyclist road from Caen to Ouistreham.

Road transport

Caen is connected to the rest of France by

motorways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

to Paris ( A13),

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

and Southern France ( A84) and to

and central France ( A88– A28). The A13 and A88 are

toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or '' toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implement ...

s while the A84 is a toll-free motorway. The city is encircled by the N814 ring-road (Boulevard Périphérique) that was completed in the late 1990s. The N13 connects Caen to

and to Paris. A section of the former N13 (Caen-Paris) is now D613 (in Calvados) following road renumbering. The Boulevard Périphérique includes an impressive viaduct called the Viaduc de Calix that goes over the canal and River Orne. The canal links the city to the sea to permit cargo ships and ferries to dock in the

port of Caen The Port of Caen (French: ''Port de Caen)'' is the harbour and port authority of the Norman city of Caen, France. The port of Caen is composed of a series of basins on the Canal de Caen à la Mer, linking Caen to Ouistreham, 15 km (9.3&nbs ...

. Ferries which have docked include the '' Quiberon'' and the '' Duc de Normandie''.

Education

* The University of Caen has around 34,000 students in five different campuses and Caen is ranked 18th biggest student city of France. The University has a good reputation as it is ranked 16th in France. * The University is divided into 11 colleges, called ''UFR'' (''Unité fondamentale de Recherche''), six institutes, one Engineering School, two IUP and five local campuses. The University is one of the oldest in France, having been founded by

Henry VI, King of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne#Kings of France (1422), disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The ...

in 1432. * Caen also has a school of fine arts L'ésam Caen/Cherbourg and '' grandes écoles'' such as the

École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen The École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche (ENSICAEN), which translates as ''National Graduate School of Engineering & Research Center'', is one of the French '' grandes écoles'', whose main purpose is to form c ...

and École supérieure d'ingénieurs des travaux de la construction de Caen. * A campus of the business school

École de management de Normandie The École de Management de Normandie (also known as EM Normandie Business School) is a business school created in 1871. Incorporated as a Higher Education & Research non-profit association (under the 1901 Act) and operating under private law, it ...

is also located in the city. Caenpanorama wikipedia

Economy

The agricultural and food-processing Agrial

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...

has its head office on Caen. Agrial group processes vegetables, cider apples,

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, qu ...

and meat with the help of its 12,000 employees and all its partners.

Music and theatre

The

Théâtre de Caen Théâtre de Caen, 135 bd du Maréchal Leclerc, is the principle theatre and opera house of Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabita ...

(1963) is the home of the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

musical ensemble Les Arts Florissants. The organization was founded by conductor William Christie in 1979 and derives its name from the 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.

Notable people

Caen was the birthplace or origin of:

Public service

* Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester (ca.1090–1147), illegitimate son of

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

. *

Robert Constantin Robert Constantin (1530 ?, Caen – 27 December 1605, Montauban) was a 16th-century French physician, hellenist, bibliographer, lexicographer and humanist. Biography Robert Constantin studied and practiced the art of medicine and was a pupil of ...

(ca.1530 – 1605), physician, bibliographer, lexicographer and humanist. * Samuel Bochart (1599–1667 in Caen), Protestant biblical scholar, taught Pierre Daniel Huet. * St.

John Eudes John Eudes, CIM (french: link=no, Jean Eudes; 14 November 1601 – 19 August 1680) was a French Roman Catholic priest and the founder of both the Order of Our Lady of Charity in 1641 and Congregation of Jesus and Mary, also known as The Eudi ...

(1601–1680), Catholic priest, forerunner of the devotion to the Sacred Heart. * Tanneguy Le Fèvre (1615–1672), classical scholar. * Pierre Daniel Huet (1630–1721), churchman and scholar. *

Gervais de La Rue Gervais de La Rue (7 September 175124 September 1835), French historical investigator, once regarded as one of the chief authorities on Norman and Anglo-Norman literature. Biography Gervais de La Rue was a native of Caen. He received his educati ...

(1751–1835), historian, re. Norman language and

Anglo-Norman literature Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 *Anglo-Norman language ** Anglo-Norman literature *Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 106 ...

Louis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pontécoulant Louis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pontécoulant (17 November 1764 – 3 April 1853) was a French politician. He was the father of Louis Adolphe le Doulcet and Philippe Gustave le Doulcet. Biography Early life and National Convention Born ...

(1764–1853), politician. *

Charlotte Corday Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont (27 July 1768 – 17 July 1793), known as Charlotte Corday (), was a figure of the French Revolution. In 1793, she was executed by guillotine for the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, who ...

(1768–1793),

guillotined A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at the ...

for the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat *

Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen (, 13 April 1769 – 9 September 1832) was a French general who served during the French Revolutionary Wars, as Governor General of Pondicherry and the Isle de France (now Mauritius) and as commander of the Army ...

(1769–1832), a French general. * Eugène Poubelle (1831–1907), lawyer and diplomat, introduced

waste container A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" ...

s to Paris * Charles-Hippolyte Pouthas (1886–1974), historian of political and religious history * Marie-Pierre Kœnig (1898–1970),

Maréchal de France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...

, commanded the Free French at the Battle of Bir Hakeim * Claude Hettier de Boislambert (1906-1986), Resistance leader, governor, politician, diplomat * Ovida Delect (1926–1996), poet, Communist, politician, member of the

French resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

in WWII and a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...

. * Sonia de La Provôté (born 1968), member of the French Senate *

Fabrice Le Vigoureux Fabrice Le Vigoureux (born 27 August 1969) is a French politician and member of Renaissance (French political party), Renaissance. In June 2017, he was elected to serve as Deputy (France), Deputy for the Calvados's 1st constituency, 1st constit ...

(born 1969), member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

The Arts

Paris - Salon du livre 2012 -Laure Adler - 007

Jean Bertaut Jean Bertaut (1552 – 8 June 1611), French poet, was born at Caen. Life He figures with Philippe Desportes in the disdainful couplet of Boileau on Ronsard: "''Ce poëte orgueilleux, trébuché de si haut,'' ''Rendit plus retenus Despo ...

(1552–1611), poet of light verse to celebrate the incidents of court life. *

François de Malherbe François de Malherbe (, 1555 – 16 October 1628) was a French poet, critic, and translator. Life He was born in Le Locheur (near Caen, Normandie), to a family of standing, although the family's pedigree did not satisfy the heralds in terms of ...

(1555 at Le Locheur – 1628), poet, critic and translator. * François le Métel de Boisrobert (1592–1662), poet, playwright and courtier. *

Jean François Sarrazin Jean François Sarrazin (c. 1611 – 5 December 1654), or Sarasin, was a French writer. Biography Sarrazin was born at Hermanville, near Caen, the son of Roger Sarasin, treasurer-general at Caen. He was educated at Caen, and later settled in ...

(ca.1611 at Hermanville – 1654), a French writer. * René Auguste Constantin de Renneville (1650–1723), writer. *

Jean-Baptiste Belin Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay I (1653–1715), also called ‘Jean-Baptiste Belin the Elder’, was a French painter who specialized in flowers. Life and work He was born in Caen, France in 1653 and died in Paris in 1715. Early in life he was ...

(1653–1715), painter who specialized in flowers. * François Henri Turpin (1709–1799), man of literature. * J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur (1735–1813), French-American writer *

Jean-Jacques Boisard Jean-Jacques François Marius Boisard (Caen, 1743 – 1831) was a French fabulist. Biography Boisard was a French fabulist born in 1743 in Caen, a historical town located in Normandy, North-West France, about 150 kilometers from Paris. Educated by ...

(1744–1833), writer who specialized in

fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular m ...

s * Jean-François Boisard (1762–1820), painter and poet. * Daniel Auber (1782–1871), composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. * Étienne Mélingue (1807–1875), actor, sculptor and painter. *

Jules Danbé Jules Danbé (16 November 1840 – 30 October 1905) was a French violinist, composer and conductor, mainly of opera. Biography Danbé was born in Caen, Calvados. Trained as a violinist, he was a pupil of Narcisse Girard and Marie Gabriel Au ...

(1840–1905), a violinist, composer and conductor, mainly of opera. * Gabriel Dupont (1878–1914), composer of operas and chamber music. *

Roger Grenier Roger Grenier (19 September 1919 – 8 November 2017) was a French writer, journalist and radio animator. He was Regent of the Collège de ’Pataphysique. Biography As a youth, Grenier lived in Pau, where Andrélie opened a shop selling gla ...

(1919–2017), writer, journalist and radio animator. *

Alain Duhamel Alain Maurice Jacques Duhamel (; born 31 May 1940) is a prominent French journalist and political commentator. In 1963, Duhamel started working at ''Le Monde''. He started giving talks on Europe 1 from 1974. He has also written in ''Libération ...

(born 1940), journalist and political commentator. *

Jean-Loup Rivière Jean-Loup Rivière (10 January 1948 – 23 November 2018) was a French playwright and drama critic. Biography Jean-Loup Rivière was born on 10 January 1948 in Caen, France. He studied philosophy at the University of Caen, and led the Theatrica ...

(1948–2018), playwright and drama critic. *

Laure Adler Laure Adler (née Laure Clauzet; born 11 March 1950, in Caen) is a French journalist, writer, publisher and radio/TV producer. Works Biographies * 1986: ''L'Amour à l'arsenic : histoire de Marie Lafarge'', Denoël. * 1998: ''Marguerite D ...

(born 1950), journalist, writer, publisher and radio/TV producer. * Christophe Desjardins (born 1962), a viola player and specialist in contemporary music. * Olivier Baroux (born 1964), actor, comedian, writer and director * Gilles Peterson (born 1964), DJ, record collector, record label owner; lives in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

* Laurent Lefrançois (born 1974), French contemporary composer * Orelsan (born 1982), rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor and film director

Science & Business

* Pierre Varignon (1654–1722),

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

, he invented the U-tube manometer * Estienne Roger (ca.1664 – 1722), printer, bookseller and publisher of sheet music * Paul Jacques Malouin (1701–1778), physician and chemist. * Guillaume-François Rouelle (1703 at Mathieu – 1770), chemist and apothecary. * Louis Lépecq de La Clôture (1736-1804), surgeon and

epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evid ...

. * Pierre-Simon Girard (1765–1836), mathematician and engineer, worked on fluid mechanics. *

Hippolyte-Victor Collet-Descotils Hippolyte-Victor Collet-Descotils (November 21, 1773 in Caen – December 6, 1815 in Paris) was a French chemist. He studied in the École des Mines de Paris, and was a student and friend of Louis Nicolas Vauquelin. He is best known for confirmi ...

(1773–1815), chemist; discovered

iridium Iridium is a chemical element with the symbol Ir and atomic number 77. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum group, it is considered the second-densest naturally occurring metal (after osmium) with a density o ...

in 1803. *

Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps (17 January 179417 January 1867) was a French naturalist and paleontologist. His son, Eugène Eudes-Deslongchamps (1830–1889), was also a paleontologist. He was born at Caen in Normandy. His parents, though poor ...

(1794–1867), naturalist and

palaeontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...

. *

Eugène Eudes-Deslongchamps Eugène Eudes-Deslongchamps (10 March 1830 – 21 December 1889) was a French paleontologist and naturalist born in Caen, the son of paleontologist Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps (1794–1867). He died at Château Matthieu, Calvados. Arou ...

(1830–1889),

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

and naturalist *

Jules Lair Jules–Auguste Lair (25 May 1836 – 16 May 1907) was a French lawyer, businessman and scholar. At the École des Chartes he studied palaeography, and was offered a position with the Archives, but he decided instead to become a lawyer. At the ag ...

(1836–1907), businessman, paleographer, historian and antiquary * André-Louis Danjon (1890–1967),

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

, measured the earthshine on the moon *

René Herse René Louis Théodore Herse (1908–1976) was a French builder of high-quality touring, randonneur and racing bicycles. His works are sought by collectors and riders. Career Herse was born in Caen. He started working on prototype aircraft at the ...

(1908–1976), builder of high-quality touring, randonneur and racing bicycles. * Jean-Yves Marin (born 1955), archeologist, medievalist and chief curator of French heritage. *

Pierre Denis Pierre Denis (born 21 March 1964) is a French businessman. He was CEO of Jimmy Choo Ltd from July 2012 to March 2020. Career Denis is a graduate of ESSEC in Paris. He began his career in perfume and cosmetics and joined LVMH in 1992. In 1999, he ...

(born 1964) businessman, CEO of Jimmy Choo Ltd, 2012/2020.

Sport

* René Menzies (ca.1889 – ca.1971), long-distance cycling record holder * Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (1937–2021), racing driver, won the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...

in 1978 and 1980. * Jean-François Ballester (1965–2018), figure skater, gold medallist at the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , wint ...

* Corinne Lagache (born 1975), former football goalkeeper with 27 caps with France women * Bruno Grougi (born 1983), a former footballer with 451 club caps and 3 for

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

* Jérémy Sorbon (born 1983), a former footballer with 518 club caps * Benoît Costil (born 1987), footballer with over 480 club caps and 1 for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Youssef El-Arabi Youssef El-Arabi (; born 3 February 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Super League club Olympiacos and the Morocco national team. He began his career with hometown club Caen in Ligue 1, making his debut in 200 ...

(born 1987), footballer with over 400 club caps and 46 for

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

* Bruno Massot (born 1989), pair skater, gold medallist at the

International relations

Caen is twinned with: *

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

, United States * Nashville, United States * Ohrid, North Macedonia *

, England, United Kingdom *

Reșița Reșița (; german: link=no, Reschitz; hu, Resicabánya; hr, Ričica; cz, Rešice; sr, Решица/Rešica; tr, Reşçe) is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraș-Severin County. It is located in the Banat region. The city had ...

, Romania * Thiès, Senegal * Würzburg, Germany *

Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and '' comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Isl ...

, Italy

Sport

From 1947 to 2006, Caen was a stage of the Tour de France a total of 15 times. Further, Caen was one of the hosts of the EuroBasket 1983. The city has a football team, SM Caen. The

Drakkars de Caen Hockey Club de Caen is a French ice hockey team based in Caen, Normandy playing in the Division 1. The team is also known as "Drakkars de Caen" (Caen Longships). The team was formerly called the Léopards de Caen. The team was founded in 1968 an ...

play ice hockey in the

FFHG Division 1 FFHG Division 1 (Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace Division 1 or French Ice Hockey Federation Division 1) is a semi-professional ice hockey league in France. It is the second of four levels of national ice hockey in France. The teams th ...

. In 2014, Caen was the location of the

2014 FEI World Equestrian Games The 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were held in the region of Normandy, France. It was the seventh edition of the Games, which are held every four years and run by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). For team even ...

Symbols

Heraldry

Current arms:

''Gules, a single-towered open castle Or, windowed and masoned sable.''

Under the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

: ''Per fess, gules and azure, 3 fleurs de lys Or.'' During the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

: ''Gules, a single-towered castle Or, a chief of Good Imperial Cities (gules, 3 bees Or).'' File:Blason ville fr Caen ancien.svg, File:Blason Caen 1809.svg, File:Blason ville fr Caen (Calvados) Empire (Orn ext).svg, File:Blason ville fr Caen (Calvados) (Orn ext).svg,

Motto

Today, Caen has no motto, but it used to have one, which did not survive the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. As a result, its spelling is archaic and has not been updated:

''Un Dieu, un Roy, une Foy, une Loy.''

(One God, one King, one Faith, one Law.) This motto is reflected in a notable old

Chant royal The Chant Royal is a poetic form that is a variation of the ballad form and consists of five eleven-line stanzas with a rhyme scheme and a five-line envoi rhyming or a seven-line envoi (capital letters indicate lines repeated verbatim). To add t ...

Code

Caen's home port code is CN.

Climate

Caen has an oceanic climate that is somewhat ameliorated due to its slightly inland position. In spite of this, summers are still cool by French standards and the climate is typically maritime in terms of high precipitation, relatively modest sunshine hours and mild winters.

Gallery

File:Escoville Angle.jpg, Hôtel d'Escoville, 16th century, Caen File:Chateau_Caen.jpg, South Wall of the Castle, a huge fortress in the centre of the city File:Caen Hôtel de Ville.JPG, Town Hall of Caen File:Caen gare bv.jpg, Caen railway station File:Tramway de Caen Station.jpg, Caen's former 'tramway' was in fact a modern guided-bus system. File:Normandie Calvados Caen6 tango7174.jpg, Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux Church File:Caen-1.JPG, Interior of Saint-Pierre Church File:Caen-2.JPG, The fortress of Caen File:Caen-3.JPG, The Abbey of St. Étienne File:Église Saint Pierre seen from in front of the Château.jpg, Église Saint Pierre seen from in front of the Château

References

Bibliography

* Joseph Decaëns and Adrien Dubois (ed.), ''Caen Castle. A ten Centuries Old Fortress within the Town'', Publications du CRAHM, 2010,
Publications du CRAHM

External links

*
Caen City Council
*
Encyclopædia Britannica Caen

Mémorial pour la Paix museum

Caen town guide
{{Authority control Communes of Calvados (department) Prefectures in France Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast Cities in France

History

Early history

Hundred Years' War

Second World War

Postwar

Etymology

Geography

Population

Main sights

Castle

Abbeys

Others

Administration

Transport

Public transport

Rail

Air transport

Water transport

Road transport

Education

Economy

Music and theatre

Notable people

Public service

The Arts

Science & Business

Sport

International relations

Sport

Symbols

Heraldry

Motto

Code

Climate

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography

External links