Abbaye aux Hommes (Saint-Étienne)

During William the Conqueror's funeral in 1087, a citizen of Caen dramatically interrupted the ceremony, claiming his family had been illegally dispossessed of the land where the church was built. The allegation proved true, and the man was compensated on the spot before the burial could continue. Centuries later in 1562, Protestant forces desecrated the magnificent marble tomb during the Wars of Religion, scattering William's bones—only a single femur was saved and is still preserved today.

The abbey was built using the distinctive white Caen limestone that later became famous across medieval Europe. After William conquered England in 1066, this prized stone was shipped across the English Channel to construct some of Britain's most iconic landmarks, including the Tower of London, Canterbury Cathedral, and Westminster Abbey. The stone's fine grain made it perfect for detailed carvings and has given these buildings their characteristic appearance.

The abbey's architectural innovations profoundly influenced English church design. Lanfranc of Pavia, the first abbot who later became Archbishop of Canterbury, brought Lombardian architectural elements to Normandy, and after 1066, these same design principles spread throughout England. The twin-tower façade of the abbey church became a model for English cathedrals, and the revolutionary sexpartite vaults developed here around 1115 helped pave the way for the Gothic cathedral movement that would transform European architecture.