Caen Castle – Historical Monument
Once the most famous castle in Normandy, Chateau Caen is considered today a historic monument. The castle now serves as home to the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Normandy, Saint Georges church, Exchequer of Normandy and a garden of plants cultivated in the Middle Ages.
The castle was constructed on a hill and is now in the middle of the city. With an area of 5.5 hectares, it is one of the largest castles in Western Europe.
Two entrances guard the castle, both reinforced by barbicans: the door to the town and the door to the fields. These are overlooked by the ramparts, on top of the 12th century curtain walls, which offer a splendid view of Caen.
The keep, now razed, had a large square section with round towers at each angle and like the castle, it was surrounded by a moat.
Since march 2004, the town of Caen has undergone the restoration of the ramparts, with the financial help of the European Regional Development Fund. This operation has revealed the cellar of a 15th century private house which still had its firehouse, a powder magazine and two walls of a 14th century forge. Traces of the stables have also been found.