Castle of William The Conquerer (Falaise, France)

Castle of William The Conquerer (Falaise, France) ... 87. / Situated on a rocky spur once surrounded by marshes, between the valleys of the rivers Ante and Marescot, the castle is set on an ideal natural defensive site which dominates the city. Testifying to the power of the Anglo-Norman dukes and kings, this fortress was entirely erected in the 12th and 13th centuries. Its two square keeps are rare examples of medieval architecture associating military function with residential purpose. They are part of the great group of Anglo-Norman “palace-keeps” built by William the Conqueror and his successors after the 1066 conquest of England. Modified little during the centuries which followed its construction, the castle -which had become indefensible because of the progress of artillery-, was abandoned from the beginning of the 17th century. Threatened to be destroyed and in a state of ruin, it is from 1840, the year when the edifice was listed as a National Heritage building, that the projects of preservation appear. Ambitious campaigns of restoration came into being, and it is in 1997, after long years of rehabilitation, that the keeps open their doors to the public. Magnificently restored, this place of English and French history, that cannot be ignored, imposes itself as a major element in the local tourist scene. It is inscribed, with the monuments of Caen and Bayeux, among the sites of the “William the Conqueror” historical area.