Abbaye aux Hommes
Abbaye aux Hommes
4.5
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The Men's Abbey : A masterpiece of medieval art and 18th century. William the Conqueror Born in Falaise in 1027, William was the son of Robert the Magnificent, the future Duke of Normandy, and Herleva, a tanner’s daughter. Upon his father’s death, William became the designated sole heir to the ducal throne. His succession to the throne was challenged by the barons, who considered William to be Robert’s illegitimate son. William quashed the rebels once and for all in 1047 and became the undisputed Duke of Normandy. Towards 1050, William married his distant cousin Matilda of Flanders, despite opposition from Pope Leo IX. The Church forbade their marriage, so Matilda and William sought atonement by founding the Abbayeaux- Dames, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, dedicated to Saint-Étienne. Work began on the Abbaye-aux-Hommes in 1066, the year that marked the Norman conquest of England. Edward, the King of England, had named William, the Duke of Normandy, to be his successor. Upon Edward’s death and betrayed by Harold, Edward’s brother-in-law, William took up arms to assert his claim to the throne. William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066. William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 25th December 1066, whereupon he became William «the Conqueror». On 9th September 1087, he died in Rouen. According to his wishes, he was buried in the Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne in Caen. Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne Consecrated in 1077, the abbey church represents the oldest part of the site, with most of the features dating back to the 11th and 13th Centuries. The choir was redesigned in the 13th Century to reflect the prevailing Gothic style and is home to the tomb of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Monastic buildings The monastery was erected in the 11th Century, but destroyed during the First War of Religion (1562-63), before being rebuilt in the 18th Century. The monastic buildings are built around a Tuscan-style cloister epitomising the classical Italian style. The buildings are today headquarters of Caen City Hall. Together with the recently refurbished Place Saint- Sauveur, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes represents a unique heritage site. Medieval buildings and agricultural buildings The abbey also used to be a farm and an inn. It still houses a cider press, a carriage house and a bakery. Two 14th Century buildings bear witness to the abbey’s former role as a place of refuge and a political venue. - Palais Ducal, which was restored between 2012 and 2013, now hosts the city’s art library and its collection of contemporary art. - The Guardroom, where City Council meetings take place
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
893 reviews
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319
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TheSkeptik
Paris, France237 contributions
Oct 2020
an absolutely stunning building when seen from the esplanade. The guided tour is worth the ticket and the time. The guide lady speaks clearly (in French; I don't know about her mastery of English), interesting details about the history of the William, Duke of Normandy, the building's history.
By the way: puy the city pass that includes the memorial, the Abby and the great Castle! A great savings of >10€/person
By the way: puy the city pass that includes the memorial, the Abby and the great Castle! A great savings of >10€/person
Written 25 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia20,004 contributions
Oct 2021
The Men Abbey, along with the Saint Etienne Church within it is one of Caen most remarkable and important sites.
It dates back to 11 century when it was built, along with the Women Abbey in other part of town.
It is uncertain if it'd ever been built if William the Conqueror didn't choose to marry Matilda (France King niece) whose kinship considered to close to be approved by Pope. In order to get an approval, Williams deputy made a deal with the Church to get it in exchange for these two Abbeys being built.
It is a must see site in Caen, in the very center.
It dates back to 11 century when it was built, along with the Women Abbey in other part of town.
It is uncertain if it'd ever been built if William the Conqueror didn't choose to marry Matilda (France King niece) whose kinship considered to close to be approved by Pope. In order to get an approval, Williams deputy made a deal with the Church to get it in exchange for these two Abbeys being built.
It is a must see site in Caen, in the very center.
Written 20 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra J
Faaborg, Denmark22 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
The Abbey itself is one of the most stunning I have ever witnessed. I could feel the history all the way through, what a beautiful atmosphere.
A bit strange to read on the homepage you had to pay entrance, then follow the signs to ticket office at the location just to be told at the counter to go back and just enter the church
A bit strange to read on the homepage you had to pay entrance, then follow the signs to ticket office at the location just to be told at the counter to go back and just enter the church
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joachim H
Bruhl, Germany12 contributions
July 2022
Huge church building with cloister. Outside view is impressive. You can enter the church, the cloister costs extra. Whether you want to invest the 5 € depends on your interest in such buildings. I think there are more interesting cloisters.
Written 1 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vero V
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Family
Thank you very much to the young man who visited us because the poor with only 3 large rooms allowed to visit he knew how to captivate us with his stories on the history of Normandy and guillaume. No visits to monks' cells transformed into administrative offices etc... on the other hand message for the town hall it would be nice to put available a box poir leave tips for the person who makes the visits which would be normal. Nois preferred the visit of the abbey to the ladies entirely visiting.
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Written 13 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T S
18 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
If you just want to visit the tomb of William the Conqueror it is possible to walk around the back of the abbey and get access to St Etienne church for free. As others have described, it is not much to write home about since his tomb was raided during the 16th century. The church itself is an inspiring building and, on the right hand interior wall, the description of its role during the battle of Caen in 1944 was very moving.
Written 4 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
toomanybeds
ME359 contributions
May 2023
A simply astonishing, ancient church with magnificent architecture and an atmosphere of absolute calm. Try and attend an organ recital - it has the finest sounding organ I’ve ever heard. Oh, and it has the tomb of William The Conqueror.
Written 11 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D L
Canada, KY2 contributions
June 2024 • Family
We toured Caen memorial a little bit longer than expected. The scheduled closing hour is 7PM, @642 PM, the receptionist is ok to let us in for 8 mins as a quick tour, but the guards insisted the door was already locked. It is terrible for the kids as we travelled from Canada to here and could not take a look of this exceptional heritage site. Terrible experience on the hospitality of the local people.
Written 14 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PierreBriere
Saint-Joachim, France9,763 contributions
June 2024 • Couples
Admission = 4 €. The abbey was founded (1066) by William II, Duke of Normandy and winner of the Battle of Hastings (England), having just married his cousin Mathilde of Flanders (union rejected by Pope Leo IX). Adjacent to the church of Saint-Etienne where Guillaume is buried, the conventual buildings (pillaged and ransacked during the wars of religion) were rebuilt in the 18th century and housed the town hall since 1965 (after having been a high school since 1804). Do not miss the cloister (18th century), the chapter room (light oak woodwork), the staircase and its wrought iron ramp, and the refectory.
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Written 27 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vagabondafelice
Carisolo, Italy197 contributions
Oct 2021 • Friends
The Abbey is impressive from the outside but quite stark inside. There were only guided tours in French available at the time we were there so we read up about the abbey ourselves and of course visited the tomb of William the Conqueror. You do not have to pay an entrance fee if you just visit the Abbey.
Written 31 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will there be English speaking tours on Friday, September 13, 2024?
Thanks in advance!
Written 9 July 2024
church 9.30am-1pm & 2-7pm Mon-Sat, 2-6.30pm Sun, cloister 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm & 2pm-5.30pm Sat & most Sun
Written 7 July 2017
bonjour, je voudrais savoir le prix de l´entré avec guide et sans guide
Written 24 June 2015
Prix d'entrée 7€ comme indiqué par Zorguette, visite complète ( bâtiments conventuels + abbatiale St Etienne), laquelle est obligatoirement guidée et dure environ 1h30.
L'accès à l'abbatiale St Etienne seule (tombeau de Guillaume le Conquérant) est libre et gratuit, bien entendu, puisqu'il s'agit d'un édifice religieux.
Written 1 July 2015
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