One of our day trips from Caen took us south to the town of Falaise, which was the birth town of William the Conqueror. The same cannot be said for the castle, because while he was born in one in 1028, it was definitely an earlier version on the same site. The castle today is from the time of Henry I., the youngest son of William the Conqueror, and about a 100 years later. It was in Falaise though that William’s father, Robert the Magnificent, had an affair with a tanner’s daughter and William was born. The Duke acknowledged and even made him his heir. Upon the sudden death of his father William became Duke of Normandy at the age of seven.
So much for the historic facts, but we were on the lookout of tangible assets of that time. Besides the castle, Falaise has a couple of old churches on offer as well as a historic center. However we were only interested in the castle, so we made a beeline in that direction. Below the castle though are two old churches, almost in the way. The Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais de Falaise is from time of William and his son Henry I. and therefore another 11th century gem. The church certainly loomed large on the way up.
Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais de Falaise @Normandy
During the liberation of Falaise in August 1944 the church received some damage, but was eventually restored. It is worth going inside, it is light and airy and has a very peaceful vibe.
a peaceful moment @Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais de Falaise
The Holy Trinity Church right around the corner is even older. Built around 840 it got destroyed during a siege of King Philip II. of France and later rebuilt in 1204. So William the Conqueror must have worshiped here as a child, at least on this site.
Holy Trinity Church @Falaise
inside @Holy Trinity church Falaise
Falaise really works the birth town angle of William the Conqueror as he looms larger than life on his horse in front of the Holy Trinity church and the castle. His monument is surrounded by the six preceding Dukes of Normandy.
William the conqueror surrounded by the six previous Dukes of Normandy @Falaise
We entered the large castle area through a large gate, flanked by two even bigger towers. The castle grounds has information boards dotted all over as well as some kind of telescopes with pictures inside showing how the castle and its outbuildings looked in former times.
Gate to the castle grounds @Falaise Castle
The castle of Falaise consists two keeps, a large one in front and attached to it a smaller one in the back. The latter one was built by Henry II. and with that we are back to the Plantagenets. Back in 1159 the whole family of Henry II. celebrated Christmas here. I felt elated to walk in the tracks of this family again.
Château de Falaise @Normandy
The castle itself was amazing to visit. The exhibition had a lot of interactive features, short clips of the different residents during its history, and an overall winning atmosphere. I loved how the exposition was put together to please children and adults alike. There was really much to learn here, not only of William the Conqueror, but also about castle life and the boredom felt by the guarding soldiers. Standing around in towers and hallways must have been absolutely dull and sometimes only a little graffiti helped.
sword graffiti from the 12th century @Falaise Castle
We left the castle after making our way all the way to the top. From here you get a great sense of the lay of the land and can see the whole area not just from the castle below, but also a possible enemy approach from further afield.
castle grounds and the town of Falaise @Falaise Castle
Even if you are not a history nerd, the castle of Falaise is a fantastic example of Norman architecture. The stark walls reminded me a lot of Château Gaillard, no wonder Richard Lionhart built it that way. He took his inspiration from Falaise Castle. The exhibition was put together well, it was interesting and entertaining. We spent more than two hours wandering around inside the castle and its grounds. Yours, Pollybert
