Caen
Encyclopedia
Caen is a commune
in northwestern France. It is the prefecture
of the Calvados
department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie
region
. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) inland from the English Channel
.
Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror
, who was buried here, and for the Battle for Caen
—heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, destroying much of the town.
Two hours north-west of Paris, and connected to the south of England by the Caen-(Ouistreham
)-Portsmouth
ferry route, Caen is located in the centre of its northern region, over which it is a centre of political, economic and cultural power.
As the city of William the Conqueror, the city has a long and complex history. In the Second World War, it was a key site of the Battle of Normandy. The city has preserved the memory by erecting a memorial for peace.
Located a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resort of Deauville
and Cabourg
, Norman Switzerland or Pays d'Auge
(often considered the archetype of Normandy), Caen offers all possible services.
The city proper has 113,249 inhabitants (as of 2006), while its urban area has 420,000, making Caen the largest and most important city in Lower Normandy. It is also the second largest municipality in all of Normandy after Le Havre
and the third largest city proper in Normandy, after Rouen
and Le Havre
. The metropolitan area of Caen, in turn, is the second largest in Normandy after that of Rouen, the 21st largest in France.
Under the Ancien Régime : Per fess, gules and azure, 3 fleurs de lys Or.
During the Premier Empire, Gules, a single-towered castle Or, a chief of Good Imperial Cities (gules, 3 bees Or).
(One God, one King, one Faith, one Law.)
This motto is reflected in a notable old Chant royal
.
led his army against the city hoping to loot it. On 26 July 1346 his troops stormed the city
and sacked it, killing 3,000 of its citizens and burning much of the merchants' quarter. During the attack English officials searched its archives and found a copy of the 1339 Franco-Norman plot
to invade England, devised by Philip VI of France
and Normandy. This was subsequently used as propaganda to justify the supplying and financing of the conflict and its continuation. 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
. It was later captured by Henry V in 1417 and treated harshly for being the first town to put up any resistance to his invasion.
in early July, a month after the Normandy landings, 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
destroyed much of the city but allowed the Allies to seize its western quarters, a month later than Montgomery'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.
, Rouen
, Cabourg
, Deauville
and Bayeux
.
The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit filmed the D-Day offensive and Orne breakout several weeks later, then returned several months later to document the town's recovery efforts. The resulting film You Can't Kill a City is preserved in the National Archives of Canada.
: Cadon 1021/1025, Cadumus 1025, Cathim 1026/1027. Year 1070 of the Parker manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
refers to Caen as Kadum. Despite a lack of sources as to the origin of the settlements, the name Caen would seem to be of Gaulish origin, from the words catu-, referring to military activities and magos, field, hence meaning "manoeuvre field" or "battlefield".
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 is 10 km (6 mi) from the Channel
. A canal (Canal de Caen à la Mer
) parallel to the Orne was built during the reign of Napoleon III
to link the city to the sea at all times. The canal reaches the English Channel
at Ouistreham
. A lock keeps the tide out of the canal and lets large ships navigate up the canal to Caen's freshwater harbours.
, 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
(1346, 1417, 1450) and was in use as a barracks as late as the Second World War. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen (Museum of Fine Arts
of Caen) and Musée de Normandie (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history . (See Timeline of Caen Castle)
s to be built on the Pope
's encouragement:
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
(Grand Caen (Greater Caen), renamed Caen la Mer
in 2004), gathers 29 towns and villages, including Villons-les-Buissons
, Lions-sur-mer, Hermanville-sur-mer
, which joined the Communauté d'agglomération in 2004. The population of the "communauté d'agglomération" is around 220000 inhabitants.
In the former administrative organisation, Caen was a part of 9 cantons, of which it is the chief town. These cantons contain a total of 13 towns. Caen gives its name to a 10th canton, of which it is not part.
and modelled on its Guided Light Transit
technology—and a very efficient network of city buses, operated under the name Twisto
. Faced with the residents' anger against the project, the municipality had to pursue the project with only 23% of the population in favour of the new form of transport. The road layout of the city centre was deeply transformed and the formerly traffic-jam-free centre's problems are still unresolved. The city is also connected to the rest of the Calvados département by the Bus Verts du Calvados
bus network
.
Caen - Carpiquet Airport
is the biggest airport in Lower-Normandy considering the number of passengers that it serves every year. Most flights are operated by Brit Air
and Chalair Aviation
and the French national airline
Air France
operates three daily flights to the French city of Lyon
, while in the summer there are many charter flights to Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Tunisia
, Morocco and Algeria
.
Caen is served by the small port of Ouistreham
, lying at the mouth of the Caen Canal where it meets the English Channel
. A ferry service operates between Portsmouth
, 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 15 km (9.3 mi) from Caen with a daytime shuttle bus service for foot passengers.
Caen is connected to the rest of France by motorways
to Paris (A13
), Brittany
(A84
) and soon to Le Mans
(A88–A28
). The A13 is a toll road
while the A84 is a toll-free motorway. The city is encircled by the N814 ring-road
that was completed in the late 1990s. The N13
connects Caen to Cherbourg
and to Paris. A section of the former N13 (Caen-Paris) is now D613 (in Calvados) following road renumbering. The N814 ring-road 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 ship
s and ferries to dock in the port of Caen
. Ferries which have docked include the Quiberon
and the Duc de Normandie
.
Although a fraction of what it used to be remains, Caen once boasted an extensive rail and tram network. From 1895 until 1936 the Compagnie des Tramways Electriques de Caen
(Electrical Tramway Company of Caen) operated all around the city. Caen also had several main and branch railway
lines linking Caen railway station
to all parts of Normandy with lines to Paris, Vire
, Flers
, Cabourg
, Houlgate
, Deauville
, Saint-Lô
, Bayeux
and Cherbourg
. Now only the electrified line of Paris-Cherbourg, Caen-Le Mans
and Caen-Rennes
subsist with minimal services.
GUILLAUME LE BRETON. Philippide, 1. VIII.
This country is beautiful, and Caen's most beautiful city, the more attractive, the merrier, the better situated, the most beautiful streets, the most beautiful buildings, the most beautiful churches, meadows, walking, and finally the source All of our wits.
MME DE SÉVIGNÉ
Caen today deserves some praise to him once so liberally granted. In its churches, its hotels, for the decoration of some of its houses, it is actually a vast museum that provides the observer subjects of study most interesting and varied.
EUGÈNE ROBILLARD DE BEAUREPAIRE, 1883
with:
Caen has been twinned with Alexandria, Virginia
, USA since 1991. The sister city
relationship sees delegations visiting between the two cities on a regular basis. Exchanges of students have been common. Musicians and choirs from the two cities have also made very successful exchange visits. The Toussaint/Halloween period is a time of year when a delegation from Caen will often visit Alexandria.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in northwestern France. It is the prefecture
Prefecture
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction or subdivision in any of various countries and within some international church structures, and in antiquity a Roman district governed by an appointed prefect.-Antiquity:...
of the Calvados
Calvados
The French department of Calvados is part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the English Channel coast...
department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie
Lower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) inland from the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
, who was buried here, and for the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....
—heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy in 1944, destroying much of the town.
Two hours north-west of Paris, and connected to the south of England by the Caen-(Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie 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 is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
)-Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
ferry route, Caen is located in the centre of its northern region, over which it is a centre of political, economic and cultural power.
As the city of William the Conqueror, the city has a long and complex history. In the Second World War, it was a key site of the Battle of Normandy. The city has preserved the memory by erecting a memorial for peace.
Located a few miles from the coast, the landing beaches, the bustling resort of Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
and Cabourg
Cabourg
Cabourg is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region of France.Cabourg belongs to the Paris Basin. The commune is located next to the sea and the back country is a plain, favourable to the cereal culture...
, Norman Switzerland or Pays d'Auge
Pays d'Auge
The Pays d'Auge is an area in Normandy, straddling the départements of Calvados and Orne . The chief town is Lisieux.-Geography:Generally it consists of the basin of the Touques River....
(often considered the archetype of Normandy), Caen offers all possible services.
The city proper has 113,249 inhabitants (as of 2006), while its urban area has 420,000, making Caen the largest and most important city in Lower Normandy. It is also the second largest municipality in all of Normandy after Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
and the third largest city proper in Normandy, after Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
and Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
. The metropolitan area of Caen, in turn, is the second largest in Normandy after that of Rouen, the 21st largest in France.
Heraldry
Current arms :Gules, a single-towered open castle Or, windowed and masoned sable.
Under the Ancien Régime : Per fess, gules and azure, 3 fleurs de lys Or.
During the Premier Empire, Gules, a single-towered castle Or, a chief of Good Imperial Cities (gules, 3 bees Or).
Motto
Today, Caen has no motto. But it used to have one, which did not survive the French Revolution. 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
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 a-b-a-b-c-c-d-d-e-d-E and a five-line envoi rhyming d-d-e-d-E or a seven-line envoi c-c-d-d-e-d-E...
.
History
In 1346 King Edward III of EnglandEdward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
led his army against the city hoping to loot it. On 26 July 1346 his troops stormed the city
Battle of Caen (1346)
The Battle of Caen in 1346 was a running battle through the streets of the Norman city during the English invasion of Normandy under King Edward III in July of that year...
and sacked it, killing 3,000 of its citizens and burning much of the merchants' quarter. During the attack English officials searched its archives and found a copy of the 1339 Franco-Norman plot
Ordinance of Normandy
The Ordinance of Normandy is the name given to a paper authored by Philip VI of France on 23 March 1338. It called for a second Norman conquest of England, with an invading army led by the Duke of Normandy, and England was to be divided between the Duke of Normandy and his nobles as a fief for the...
to invade England, devised by Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
and Normandy. This was subsequently used as propaganda to justify the supplying and financing of the conflict and its continuation. 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
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
. It was later captured by Henry V in 1417 and treated harshly for being the first town to put up any resistance to his invasion.
Second World War
During the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War, Caen was liberatedBattle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....
in early July, a month after the Normandy landings, particularly those by British I Corps on 6 June 1944. British and Canadian troops had intended to capture the town on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. However they were held up north of the city until 9 July, when an intense bombing campaign during Operation Charnwood
Operation Charnwood
Operation Charnwood was a Second World War Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8–9 July 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to at least partially capture the German-occupied French city of Caen , which was an important Allied objective during the opening stages...
destroyed much of the city but allowed the Allies to seize its western quarters, a month later than Montgomery'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
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
some 800 years before.
Post-war
Post-Second World War 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, the city does not possess what some might call the 'feel' of a traditional Normandy town such as HonfleurHonfleur
Honfleur is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie...
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Cabourg
Cabourg
Cabourg is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region of France.Cabourg belongs to the Paris Basin. The commune is located next to the sea and the back country is a plain, favourable to the cereal culture...
, Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
and Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
.
The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit filmed the D-Day offensive and Orne breakout several weeks later, then returned several months later to document the town'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 NormandyDuke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
: Cadon 1021/1025, Cadumus 1025, Cathim 1026/1027. Year 1070 of the Parker manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
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 Alfred the Great...
refers to Caen as Kadum. Despite a lack of sources as to the origin of the settlements, the name Caen would seem to be of Gaulish origin, from the words catu-, referring to military activities and magos, field, hence meaning "manoeuvre field" or "battlefield".
Geography
Caen is in an area of high humidity. The Orne RiverOrne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
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 is 10 km (6 mi) from the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. A canal (Canal de Caen à la Mer
Canal de Caen à la Mer
Canal de Caen à la Mer also called the "Caen Canal") is a short canal in the department of Calvados, France, connecting the Port of Caen, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of Ouistreham and the English Channel....
) parallel to the Orne was built during the reign of Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
to link the city to the sea at all times. The canal reaches the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie 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 is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
. A lock keeps the tide out of the canal and lets large ships navigate up the canal to Caen's freshwater harbours.
Climate
Castle
The castle, Château de CaenChâteau de Caen
The Château de Caen is a castle in the French town of Caen in the Calvados département . It has been officially classed as a Monument historique since 1886.-History:...
, built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
, who successfully conquered England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman
Norman dynasty
Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the family that were the Dukes of Normandy and the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154. It included Rollo and his descendants, and from William the Conqueror and...
strategy and policy. At Christmas 1182 a royal court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
celebration for Christmas in the aula
Aula
Aula may refer to:*Atrium *Avola, a city in Sicily *Aula, Eritrea, a village in western Eritrea*Ultralight aircraft , Advanced ultra-light aeroplane...
of Caen Castle brought together Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and his sons, Richard the Lionheart
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
and John Lackland
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, 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
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
(1346, 1417, 1450) and was in use as a barracks as late as the Second World War. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen (Museum of Fine Arts
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
of Caen) and Musée de Normandie (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history . (See Timeline of Caen Castle)
Abbeys
In repentance for marrying his cousin Mathilda of Flanders, William ordered two abbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
s to be built on the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
's encouragement:
- Eglise St.-Etienne, formerly the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men's Abbey). It was completed in 1063 and is dedicated to St Stephen. The current Hôtel de Ville (town hall) of Caen is built onto the South TranseptTranseptFor the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
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 régionalConseil régionalA Regional Council is the elected assembly of a region of France.-History:Regional councils were created by law on 5 July 1972. Originally they were simply consultative bodies consisting of the region's parliamentary representatives plus an equal number of members nominated by the departments and...
) of Basse-NormandieBasse-NormandieLower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
is nearby.
Others
- Jardin botanique de CaenJardin botanique de CaenThe Jardin botanique de Caen , more formally known as Le jardin des plantes et le jardin botanique de Caen, is a botanical garden and arboretum located at 5, place Blot, Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France...
, a historic botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The 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. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names... - Church of Saint-Pierre
- Mémorial pour la PaixMémorial de CaenThe Mémorial de Caen is a museum and war memorial in Caen, Normandy, France commemorating the Second World War and the Battle for Caen. The building and grounds are located in the northern suburbs of the city of Caen on the site of an old blockhouse...
("Memorial for Peace") built in 1988, charting the events leading up to and after D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. It is an emotional presentation inviting meditation on the thought of Elie WieselElie WieselSir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
: "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 PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winners and another one on Conflict ResolutionConflict resolutionConflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
in different cultures. - Parc FestylandParc FestylandParc Festyland is a relative small theme park situated within the Caen ringroad in Lower Normandy, France. Sometimes referred to as residing in Carpiquet in terms of Greater Caen, the theme park receives approximately 110,000 visitors a year...
, an amusement parkAmusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
to the west of Caen in the nearby town of CarpiquetCarpiquetCarpiquet is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France. Caen – Carpiquet Airport is located in Carpiquet.-Geography:Carpiquet is on the western side of the Caen metropolitan area...
. The park receives 110,000 visitors every year. - Mondeville 2Mondeville 2Mondeville 2 is a shopping centre in Caen, France and the largest of the Basse Normandie région. It is situated in the suburb of Caen in the town of Mondeville....
is a regional shopping centre in adjoining MondevilleMondeville, Calvados-Economy:It is the home of Yachts Industries, manufacturer of Blubay and Yapluka brands of catamaran.-External links:**...
.
Administration
Recent Mayors of Caen have included:- 1959–1970: Jean-Marie Louvel, MRP & Centre démocrate
- 1970–2001: Jean-Marie Girault, Parti républicain UDFUnion for French DemocracyThe Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
- 2001–2008: Brigitte Le BrethonBrigitte Le BrethonBrigitte Le Brethon is a French politician, and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement . She was born in Campeaux, Calvados, France.She was the mayor of Caen from 2001 to 2008...
, RPRRally for the RepublicThe Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
& UMPUnion for a Popular MovementThe Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party... - 2008–2014: Philippe DuronPhilippe DuronPhilippe Duron is a French politician. He is mayor of Caen and deputy for Caen-Ouest.Philippe Duron was born June 19, 1947 in Antony . He received a degree in history in 1975 and was a teacher until 1997. His political models are Pierre Mendès-France and François Mitterrand...
, PSSocialist Party (France)The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
In 1952, the small commune of Venoix
Venoix
Situated west from Caen, in Calvados, France, Venoix long was an independent commune. It merged with Caen in 1952 when the development of the nearby city and the need for financially costly infrastructures made it necessary....
became part of Caen.
In 1990, the agglomeration of Caen was organized into a district, transformed in 2002 into a Communauté d'agglomération
Communauté d'agglomération
An agglomeration community is a metropolitan government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of three forms of intercommunality, less integrated than an urban community but more integrated than a community of communes...
(Grand Caen (Greater Caen), renamed Caen la Mer
Communauté d'agglomération Caen la Mer
The communauté d'agglomération Caen la Mer is a French communauté d'agglomération, located in the Calvados département, in the Basse-Normandie région....
in 2004), gathers 29 towns and villages, including Villons-les-Buissons
Villons-les-Buissons
-References:*...
, Lions-sur-mer, Hermanville-sur-mer
Hermanville-sur-Mer
Hermanville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Sights:* 13th century church* Commonwealth war cemetery* Old village center...
, which joined the Communauté d'agglomération in 2004. The population of the "communauté d'agglomération" is around 220000 inhabitants.
In the former administrative organisation, Caen was a part of 9 cantons, of which it is the chief town. These cantons contain a total of 13 towns. Caen gives its name to a 10th canton, of which it is not part.
Transport
Caen has a recently built, controversial guided bus system—built by Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and modelled on its Guided Light Transit
Bombardier Guided Light Transit
Guided Light Transit is a public transport system manufactured by Bombardier Transportation and used in the French cities of Nancy and Caen....
technology—and a very efficient network of city buses, operated under the name Twisto
Twisto
Twisto is the brand name under which buses and guided buses are operated in the Norman city of Caen. The CTAC owns the buses and has been commercialising services under the Twisto brand since 2002. Its bus depots are in Mondeville and the Industrial estate of Hérouville-Saint-Clair....
. Faced with the residents' anger against the project, the municipality had to pursue the project with only 23% of the population in favour of the new form of transport. The road layout of the city centre was deeply transformed and the formerly traffic-jam-free centre's problems are still unresolved. The city is also connected to the rest of the Calvados département by the Bus Verts du Calvados
Bus Verts du Calvados
Bus Verts du Calvados is a network of interurban buses in the département of Calvados, France. The network is operated on behalf of the Conseil Général du Calvados by Keolis Calvados, a subsidiary of the French Keolis transport group....
bus network
Bus network
A bus network topology is a network architecture in which a set of clients are connected via a shared communications line, called a bus. There are several common instances of the bus architecture, including one in the motherboard of most computers, and those in some versions of Ethernet...
.
Caen - Carpiquet Airport
Caen - Carpiquet Airport
Caen la Mer Airport or Aéroport de Caen la Mer is an airport located in Carpiquet and 6 km west of Caen, both communes of the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie région of France....
is the biggest airport in Lower-Normandy considering the number of passengers that it serves every year. Most flights are operated by Brit Air
Brit Air
Brit Air is a regional airline based on the grounds of Morlaix Airport at Ploujean, Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise out of Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.-History:The airline was established in...
and Chalair Aviation
Chalair Aviation
Chalair Aviation, previously Chalair, is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Caen – Carpiquet Airport in Carpiquet, France...
and the French national airline
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
operates three daily flights to the French city of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, while in the summer there are many charter flights to Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Morocco and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Caen is served by the small port of Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie 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 is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
, lying at the mouth of the Caen Canal where it meets the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. A ferry service operates between Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, 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 15 km (9.3 mi) from Caen with a daytime shuttle bus service for foot passengers.
Caen is connected to the rest of France by motorways
Autoroutes of France
The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network of worth of motorways. Autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through a combination of autoroutes are shown with an added autoroute logo...
to Paris (A13
A13 autoroute
Autoroute 13, or L'Autoroute de Normandie links Paris to Caen, Calvados.The motorway starts in Paris at the Porte d'Auteuil, a former gate of the Paris walls, and ends at Mondeville's Mondeville 2 exchange junction on Caen's ring road...
), Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
(A84
A84 autoroute
The A84 autoroute is a motorway in western France completed on 27 January 2003. The motorway connects Rennes in Brittany with Caen in Lower Normandy. It is part of the Autoroute des Estuaires from Dunkirk to Bayonne, avoiding Paris.-Characteristics:...
) and soon to Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. 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 Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
(A88–A28
A28 autoroute
Autoroute 28 is an motorway linking Abbeville in Somme to Tours in Indre-et-Loire.The motorway starts at Abbeville splitting from the A16 and, after merging with the A13 near Rouen, ends at Tours, merging with the A10. The motorway between Rouen and Tours was added to the Schéma Directeur Routier...
). The A13 is a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
while the A84 is a toll-free motorway. The city is encircled by the N814 ring-road
Périphérique (Caen)
The Boulevard périphérique de Caen is a ring road circling the French city of Caen. It is the route nationale 814.Traveling speed on the road is limited to 90 km/h between the Exit 13 and 8, with a brief portion near the Exit 1 as well as the Viaduc de Calix limited to 70 km/h and...
that was completed in the late 1990s. The N13
Route nationale 13
The N13 is a trunk road in France between Paris and Cherbourg.-Paris to Évreux, km 0 to km 91:The road begins at Porte Maillot, one of former gates in West Paris', in direct alignment with the Champs-Élysées. Continuing on this alignment, the road reaches La Défense after crossing the River Seine....
connects Caen to Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
and to Paris. A section of the former N13 (Caen-Paris) is now D613 (in Calvados) following road renumbering. The N814 ring-road includes an impressive viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
called the Viaduc de Calix that goes over the canal and River Orne
Orne River
The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées...
. The canal links the city to the sea to permit cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s and ferries to dock in the port of Caen
Port of Caen
The Port of Caen, 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 downstream, on the English Channel.-Layout:The port of Caen was originally...
. Ferries which have docked include the Quiberon
MV Quiberon
The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She then operated on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo.. In 2010, she was renamed D'Abundo and sent to Alang for scrapping...
and the Duc de Normandie
MV Duc de Normandie
The Wisteria is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerryMaroc between Almeria and the Moroccan port of Nador.-History:...
.
Although a fraction of what it used to be remains, Caen once boasted an extensive rail and tram network. From 1895 until 1936 the Compagnie des Tramways Electriques de Caen
Tramway de Caen
This article is about the first tramway system in Caen, for information about the Guided bus of Caen, see Caen Guided Light Transit.The Tramway de Caen was a tramway system serving the city of Caen, France...
(Electrical Tramway Company of Caen) operated all around the city. Caen also had several main and branch railway
Branch line
A branch line is 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...
lines linking Caen railway station
Gare de Caen
Caen, Gare de l'Ouest or Gare Calvados, is the main and now only station serving the city of Caen. The station stands on the main line from Paris to Cherbourg and although it mainly is an intercity station many regional trains use the station. Typical services link Caen to Lisieux, Evreux, Paris,...
to all parts of Normandy with lines to Paris, Vire
Vire
Vire is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.- History :In 1123, Henri I Beauclerc, King of England and Duke of Normandy, had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by the Vire river...
, Flers
Flers, Orne
Flers is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.The inhabitants are called Flériens.-Geography:Flers is bordered to the north by the communes of Saint-Georges-des-Groseillers and Aubusson, to the north-east by Ronfeugerai, to the west by La Lande-Patry and Saint-Paul, to the...
, Cabourg
Cabourg
Cabourg is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region of France.Cabourg belongs to the Paris Basin. The commune is located next to the sea and the back country is a plain, favourable to the cereal culture...
, Houlgate
Houlgate
Houlgate is a small tourist resort in northwestern France along the English Channel with a beach and a casino. It is a commune in the Drochon Valley, in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region.-Pre-19th century:...
, Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
, Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
and Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
. Now only the electrified line of Paris-Cherbourg, Caen-Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. 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 Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
and Caen-Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
subsist with minimal services.
Education
- The University of Caen, Université de Caen, has around 25 000 students in three different campuses, all linked by a tramway. The University is divided into 11 colleges, called UFR (Unité fondamentale de Recherche), 6 institutes, 1 Engineering School, 2 IUP and five local campus. The University is one of the oldest in France, having been founded by Henry VI, King of England in 1432.
- Caen also has a Fine Arts school (École des Beaux-Arts) and "grandes écoles" such as the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de CaenÉcole nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de CaenThe École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche , which translates as National Graduate School of Engineering & Research Center, is one of the French "grandes écoles ", whose main purpose is to form chemical, electronical, and computer science engineers...
.
Citations
Great rich city, spacious, beautiful rivers, its meadows, its seaport full of ships laden with goods, it is adorned with so many churches, houses and inhabitants, it is hardly that she recognizes less than Paris.GUILLAUME LE BRETON. Philippide, 1. VIII.
This country is beautiful, and Caen's most beautiful city, the more attractive, the merrier, the better situated, the most beautiful streets, the most beautiful buildings, the most beautiful churches, meadows, walking, and finally the source All of our wits.
MME DE SÉVIGNÉ
Caen today deserves some praise to him once so liberally granted. In its churches, its hotels, for the decoration of some of its houses, it is actually a vast museum that provides the observer subjects of study most interesting and varied.
EUGÈNE ROBILLARD DE BEAUREPAIRE, 1883
Famous Caennais
Caen was the birthplace of:- Robert, 1st Earl of GloucesterRobert, 1st Earl of GloucesterRobert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
(c. 1090–1147), illegitimate son of Henry I of EnglandHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106... - Jean BertautJean BertautJean Bertaut , French poet, was born at Caen.He figures with Philippe Desportes in the disdainful couplet of Boileau on Ronsard:"Ce poëte orgueilleux, trébuché de si haut,Rendit plus retenus Desportes et Bertaut."...
(1552–1611), poet - François Le Métel de BoisrobertFrançois le Métel de BoisrobertFrançois le Métel de Boisrobert was a French poet.-Biography:He was born at Caen, and trained as a lawyer, practising for some time at the bar at Rouen. About 1622 he went to Paris, and by the next year had established a footing at court, for he had a share in the ballet of the Bacchanales...
(1592–1662), poet - François de MalherbeFrançois de MalherbeFrançois de Malherbe was a French poet, critic, and translator.-Life:Born in Le-Locheur , his family was of some position, though it seems not to have been able to establish to the satisfaction of heralds the claims which it made to nobility older than the 16th century.He was the eldest son of...
(1555–1628), poet, critic and translator (Malherbe's birthplace has survived) - Tanneguy Le Fèvre (1615–1672), classical scholar
- Jean Renaud de SegraisJean Renaud de SegraisJean Renaud de Segrais was a French poet and novelist born in Caen.In 1662, he was elected a member of the Académie française....
(1624–1701), poet and novelist - Pierre Daniel HuetPierre Daniel HuetPierre Daniel Huet was a French churchman and scholar, editor of the Delphin Classics, founder of the Academie du Physique in Caen and Bishop of Soissons from 1685 to 1689 and afterwards of Avranches.-Life:...
(1630–1721), churchman and scholar - René Auguste Constantin de RennevilleRené Auguste Constantin de RennevilleRené Auguste Constantin de Renneville , was a French writer.He was born at Caen. Because of his Protestant principles, Renneville left France for the Netherlands in 1699. On his return three years later he was denounced as a spy and imprisoned in the Bastille, where he remained until 1713...
(1650–1723), writer - Pierre VarignonPierre VarignonPierre Varignon was a French mathematician. He was educated at the Jesuit College and the University in Caen, where he received his M.A. in 1682. He took Holy Orders the following year....
(1654–1722), mathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change.... - Charlotte CordayCharlotte CordayMarie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont , known to history as Charlotte Corday, was a figure of the French Revolution. In 1793, she was executed under the guillotine for the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, who was in part responsible, through his role as a politician and...
(d. 1793), assassin of MaratMaratMarat may refer to:People*Jean-Paul Marat , Swiss-born scientist and physician and noted character of the French Revolution*Allan Marat, Papua New Guinean politician*Marat for discussion of the given nameArt and culture... - François Henri TurpinFrançois Henri TurpinFrançois Henri Turpin was a French man of letters.He was born at Caen. He was first a professor at the university of his native town, then went to seek his fortunes in Paris, where he made some stir in philosophical circles, and especially in that of the magnificent Helvetius; but he was only able...
(1709–1799), man of literature - Jean de CrèvecoeurJean de CrèvecoeurMichel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur , naturalized in New York as John Hector St. John, was a French-American writer. He was born in Caen, Normandy, France, to the Comte and Comtesse de Crèvecœur .-Biography:In 1755 he immigrated to New France in North America...
(1735–1813), French-American writer - Jean-Jacques BoisardJean-Jacques BoisardJean-Jacques François Marius Boisard was a French fabulist.French fabulist born in 1743 in Caen, a historical town located in Normandie, North-West France, about 150 kilometers from Paris...
(1744–1833), writer who specialized in fableFableA fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
s - Gervais DelarueGervais DelarueGervais de La Rue , French historical investigator, formerly regarded as one of the chief authorities on Norman and Anglo-Norman literature, was a native of Caen...
(1751–1835), historian - Louis Gustave le Doulcet, Comte de PontécoulantLouis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de PontécoulantLouis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pontécoulant was a French politician. He was the father of Louis Adolphe le Doulcet and Philippe Gustave le Doulcet.-Early life and National Convention:...
(1764–1853), politician - Daniel AuberDaniel AuberDaniel François Esprit Auber was a French composer.-Biography:The son of a Paris print-seller, Auber was born in Caen in Normandy. Though his father expected him to continue in the print-selling business, he also allowed his son to learn how to play several musical instruments...
(1782–1871), composer - Jacques Amand Eudes-DeslongchampsJacques Amand Eudes-DeslongchampsJacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps was a French naturalist and palaeontologist.He was born at Caen in Normandy...
(1794–1867), French naturalist and palaeontologist - Étienne MélingueÉtienne MélingueÉtienne Marin Mélingue was a French actor and sculptor.He was born in Caen, the son of a volunteer of 1792, He early went to Paris and obtained work as a sculptor on the church of the Madeleine, but his passion for the stage soon led him to join a strolling company of comedians...
(1808–1875), actor and sculptorSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals... - Jules DanbéJules DanbéJules Danbé was a French conductor, mainly of opera, born in Caen on 16 November 1840, and died 30 October 1905. Trained as a violinist, he was a pupil of Girard and Savard, in 1859 winning a first prize for violin...
(1840–1905) opera conductor - André DanjonAndré DanjonAndré-Louis Danjon was a French astronomer born in Caen.Danjon devised a method to measure "Earthshine" on the Moon using a telescope in which a prism split the Moon's image into two identical side-by-side images...
(1890–1967), astronomerAstronomerAn astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using... - Marie-Pierre Koenig (1898–1970), general who commanded a Free French Brigade at the Battle of Bir HakeimBattle of Bir HakeimBir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Lieutenant-General ...
in 1942, Maréchal de France - Joël ThomasJoël ThomasJoël Fabrice Thomas is a French professional footballer. He currently plays as a striker. Thomas is currently playing at Ionikos F.C..-Club career:...
(1987– ), Professional football player with Scottish team Hamilton Academical
Twin towns – Sister cities
Caen is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Pernik Pernik Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,... , Bulgaria Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... , USA (11 April 1991) Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as... , USA (28 October 1991) Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census... , USA |
Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... , United Kingdom Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... , United Kingdom Würzburg Würzburg Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian.... , Germany (May 1962) Thiès Thiès Thiès is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and St-Louis... , Senegal (2 June 1992) |
Caen has been twinned with Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, USA since 1991. The sister city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
relationship sees delegations visiting between the two cities on a regular basis. Exchanges of students have been common. Musicians and choirs from the two cities have also made very successful exchange visits. The Toussaint/Halloween period is a time of year when a delegation from Caen will often visit Alexandria.
See also
- Stade Malherbe de CaenSM CaenStade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...
, Caen's football team - Caen StoneCaen stoneCaen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
- Operation CharnwoodOperation CharnwoodOperation Charnwood was a Second World War Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from 8–9 July 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to at least partially capture the German-occupied French city of Caen , which was an important Allied objective during the opening stages...
- Operation OverlordOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
- Communes of the Calvados department