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Caen is a commune in northwestern France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. It is the prefecture
Prefecture

Prefecture indicates the office, seat, territorial circumscription of a Prefect. The term prefecture is also used to refer to offices analogous to prefectures....
 of the Calvados
Calvados

The France departments of France of Calvados forms part of the regions of France of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the coast....
 department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie

Basse-Normandie is an regions of France of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie ....
 region. It is located 15 km (6 mi) inland from the English Channel
English Channel

The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover....
.

Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror
William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
, who was buried here, and for the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen

The Battle for Caen from June to August 1944 was a battle between Allies of World War II and Nazi Germany forces during the Battle of Normandy....
—heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy
Battle of Normandy

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Western Allies forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II....
 in 1944, destroying much of the town.

st 600 years before being devastated in 1944 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Caen was similarly ravaged by war in 1346 when King Edward III of England
Edward III of England

Edward III was one of the most successful List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Englands of the Britain in the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II of England, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe....
 led his army against the city, the richest in Normandy at the time, hoping to loot it.






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Encyclopedia


Caen is a commune in northwestern France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
. It is the prefecture
Prefecture

Prefecture indicates the office, seat, territorial circumscription of a Prefect. The term prefecture is also used to refer to offices analogous to prefectures....
 of the Calvados
Calvados

The France departments of France of Calvados forms part of the regions of France of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the coast....
 department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie
Basse-Normandie

Basse-Normandie is an regions of France of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie ....
 region. It is located 15 km (6 mi) inland from the English Channel
English Channel

The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover....
.

Caen is known for its historical buildings built during the reign of William the Conqueror
William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
, who was buried here, and for the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen

The Battle for Caen from June to August 1944 was a battle between Allies of World War II and Nazi Germany forces during the Battle of Normandy....
—heavy fighting that took place in and around Caen during the Battle of Normandy
Battle of Normandy

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Western Allies forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II....
 in 1944, destroying much of the town.

History

Almost 600 years before being devastated in 1944 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Caen was similarly ravaged by war in 1346 when King Edward III of England
Edward III of England

Edward III was one of the most successful List of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Englands of the Britain in the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II of England, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe....
 led his army against the city, the richest in Normandy at the time, hoping to loot it. On 26 July 1346 his troops stormed the city
Battle of Caen (1346)

This article is about the battle in 1346 during the Hundred Years War. For the Second World War battle for the same city see Battle for Caen.The Battle of Caen in 1346 was a running battle through the streets of the Norman city during the English invasion of Normandy under King Edward III in July of that year....
 and sacked it, killing 3,000 of its citizens and burning much of the merchants' quarter. During the attack English officials searched its archives and found a copy of the 1339 Franco-Norman plot
Ordinance of Normandy

The Ordinance of Normandy is the name given to a paper authored by Philip VI of France on 23 March 1338. It called for a second Norman conquest of England, with an invading army led by the John II of France, and England was to be divided between the Duke of Normandy and his nobles as a fief for the King of France....
 to invade England, devised by Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France

Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the List of French monarchs from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Counts and Dukes of Anjou, Counts and Dukes of Maine, and Count of Valois from 1325 to 1328....
 and Normandy. This was subsequently used as propaganda to justify the supplying and financing of the conflict and its continuation. Only the castle of Caen held out, despite attempts to besiege it. A few days later the English left, marching to the east and on to their victory at the Battle of Crécy
Battle of Crécy

The Battle of Cr?cy took place on 26 August 1346 near Cr?cy-en-Ponthieu in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War....
.

During the Battle of Normandy
Battle of Normandy

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Western Allies forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II....
 in World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Caen was liberated
Battle for Caen

The Battle for Caen from June to August 1944 was a battle between Allies of World War II and Nazi Germany forces during the Battle of Normandy....
 in early July, a month after the Normandy landings, particularly those by British I Corps
British I Corps

The I Corps was a military command , specifically a field Army corps headquarters of the British Army. The corps was in existence during various periods as an active formation in the British Army for 80 years, longer than any other corps....
 on June 6, 1944. British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 troops had intended to capture the town on D-Day
D-Day

D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable , designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar terms....
. However they were held up north of the city until July 9, when an intense bombing campaign during Operation Charnwood
Operation Charnwood

BackgroundAs part of Allied plans for the Invasion of Normandy, Caen had been a D-Day objective for the British 2nd Army. The capture of Caen and its surrounding plain was considered important to allow the Allies space to build airfields, to enable further freedom of movement south, and to pose such a threat that it would draw in German reserv...
 destroyed much of the city but allowed the Allies to seize its western quarters, a month later than Montgomery's original plan. During the battle, many of the town's inhabitants sought refuge in the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men's Abbey), built by William the Conqueror
William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
 some 800 years before. Post-WWII work included the reconstruction of complete districts of the city and the university campus. It took 14 years (1948-1962) and led to the current urbanization of Caen. Having lost many of its historic quarters and its university campus in the war, the city doesn't possess what some might call the 'feel' of a traditional Normandy town such as Honfleur
Honfleur

Honfleur is a communes of France in the Normandy departments of France of Calvados in France, located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine, very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie....
, Rouen
Rouen

Rouen is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie r?gion in France....
, Cabourg
Cabourg

Cabourg is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in the Basse-Normandie r?gions of France of France....
, Deauville
Deauville

Deauville is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the Calvados d?partements of France in the Basse-Normandie r?gions of France of France....
 and Bayeux
Bayeux

Bayeux is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the oldest surviving complete tapestries in the world....
.

The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit filmed the D-Day offensive and Orne breakout several weeks later, then returned several months later to document the town's recovery efforts. The resulting film You Can't Kill a City is preserved at the National Archives of Canada.

From 1912 to 1993, the SMN
Société Métallurgique de Normandie

The Soci?t? M?tallurgique de Normandie , or SMN was a steel mill in Caen , Normandy. It opened in 1912 and closed in 1993.In 1910, the Thyssen Group obtained the concession for mining iron in the lower region of Calvados between Soumont and Urville, Calvados....
 produced steel at the SMN plant to the East of the city. The land is now an industrial estate used by the food industry.

Images

Etymology

Year 1070 of the Parker manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English language chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The annals were created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great....
 refers to Caen as "Kadum" . Despite a lack of sources as to the origin of the settlements, the name Caen would seem to be of Gaulish origin, from the words catu-, referring to military activities and magos, field, hence meaning "manoeuvre field" or "battlefield".

Geography


Caen is in an area of high humidity. The Orne
Orne River

The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of S?es....
 flows through the city, as well as different small rivers known as les Odons, most of them having been buried under the city to improve urban hygiene.

Caen sits away from the Channel
English Channel

The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover....
. A canal that is parallel to the Orne was built during the reign of Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France

Napol?on III, also known as Louis-Napol?on Bonaparte was the first President of the French Republic and the only emperor of the Second French Empire....
 to be able to link the city to the sea at all times. The canal reaches the English Channel
English Channel

The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover....
 at Ouistreham
Ouistreham

Ouistreham is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the Calvados d?partement in France in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France of France....
. A lock enables the canal to withstand the effects of the tide and permits large ships to navigate up the canal
Canal de Caen à la Mer

Canal de Caen ? la Mer is a small canal in the Departments of France of Calvados, France, connecting the Port of Caen, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of Ouistreham and the English Channel....
 to Caen's freshwater harbours.

Main sights


Castle

The castle, Château de Caen
Château de Caen

The Ch?teau de Caen is a castle in the French town of Caen in the Calvados Departments of France . It has been officially classed as a Monument historique since 1886....
, built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror
William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
, who successfully conquered England
Norman conquest of England

The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 AD with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William I of England, Duke of Normandy , and his victory at the Battle of Hastings....
 in 1066, is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe. It remained an essential feature of Norman
Norman dynasty

Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the King of England which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154....
 strategy and policy. At Christmas 1182 a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula
Aula

Aula may refer to:*Atrium *Avola, a city in Sicily *Aula, Eritrea, a village in western Eritrea*Ultralight aircraft , Advanced ultra-light aeroplane...
 of Caen Castle brought together Henry II
Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France....
 and his sons, Richard the Lionheart
Richard I of England

Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Nantes and Brittany at various times during the same period....
 and John Lackland
John of England

John reigned as List of English monarchs from 6 April 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I of England, who died without issue....
, receiving more than a thousand knights. Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. The castle saw several engagements during the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne, which was vacant with the extinction of the senior House of Capet line of French kings....
 (1346, 1417, 1450) and was in use as a barracks as late as World War II. Today, the castle serves as a museum that houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen (Museum of Fine Arts of Caen) and Musée de Normandie (Museum of Normandy) along with many periodical exhibitions about arts and history . (See )

Abbeys


In repentance for marrying his cousin Mathilda of Flanders, William ordered two abbey
Abbey

An abbey , is a Christianity monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community....
s to be built on Pope's encouragement:
  • Eglise de Ste.-Etienne, formerly the Abbaye aux Hommes (Men's Abbey). It was completed in 1063 and is dedicated to St Stephen. The current Hôtel de Ville (town hall) of Caen is built onto the South
    South

    South is one of the cardinal directions and is opposite to the north.By Western world Norm , the bottom side of a map is south; the southern direction has azimuth or bearing of 180?....
     Transept
    Transept

    Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.'For the periodical go to The Transept....
     of the building.
  • Eglise de la Ste.-Trinité, formerly the Abbaye aux Dames (Women's Abbey). It was completed in 1060 and is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The current seat of the regional council (conseil régional
    Conseil régional

    A regional council is the elected assembly of a regions of France of France.Regional councils were created by law on 5 July 1972. Originally they were simply consultative bodies consisting of the region's parliamentary representatives plus members nominated by the departments of France and important municipalities....
    ) of Basse-Normandie is nearby.


Others

  • Jardin botanique de Caen
    Jardin botanique de Caen

    The Jardin botanique de Caen , more formally known as Le jardin des plantes et le jardin botanique de Caen, is a botanical garden and arboretum located at 5, place Blot, Caen, Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France....
    , a historic botanical garden
    Botanical garden

    Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes. Botanists and horticulturalists tend the flora and maintain the garden's library and herbarium of dried and documented plant material....
  • Saint-Pierre Church.
  • Mémorial pour la Paix built in 1988, charting the events leading up to and after D-Day
    D-Day

    D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable , designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar terms....
    . It is an emotional presentation inviting meditation on the thought of Elie Wiesel
    Elie Wiesel

    Elie Wiesel is a Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, the best known of which is Night , a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several Nazi concentration camps....
    : "Peace is not a gift from God to man, but a gift from man to himself". The Memorial for Peace also includes an exhibit of Nobel Peace Prize winners and another one on Conflict Resolution in different cultures.
  • Saint Étienne abbey-church, where a slab marks the place of the tomb of William the Conqueror
    William I of England

    William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
    , though his bones were scattered by Huguenot
    Huguenot

    The Huguenots were members of the Protestantism Reformed Church of France of France from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries....
    s in 1562, during the French Wars of Religion
    French Wars of Religion

    The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil war and military operations, primarily between France Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism , which also involved the factional struggles between the aristocratic houses of France such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise ....
    .
  • Parc Festyland
    Parc Festyland

    Parc Festyland is a relative small theme park situated within the Caen ringroad in Basse-Normandie, France. Sometimes referred to as residing in Carpiquet in terms of Greater Caen, the theme park receives approximately 110,000 visitors a year....
    , an amusement park to the West of Caen in the nearby town of Carpiquet
    Carpiquet

    Carpiquet is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in the Basse-Normandie Regions of France in northwestern France....
    . The park receives 110,000 visitors every year.
  • Mondeville 2
    Mondeville 2

    Mondeville 2 is a shopping mall in Caen, France and the largest of the Basse Normandie r?gions of France. It is situated in the suburb of Caen in the town of Mondeville, Calvados....
     is a regional shopping centre
    Shopping mall

    File:Nordstrom wing , Pentagon City Mall.jpgA shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings which contain retail units, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit....
     in adjoining Mondeville
    Mondeville, Calvados

    Mondeville is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the d?partement in France of Calvados in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France of France....
    .


Administration


Recent Mayors of Caen have included:
  • 1959-1970: Jean-Marie Louvel, MRP & Centre démocrate
  • 1970-2001: Jean-Marie Girault, Parti républicain UDF
    Union for French Democracy

    The Union for French Democracy was a Politics of France Centrism political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Val?ry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Rally for the Republic preponderance over the right-wing politics....
  • 2001-2008: Brigitte Le Brethon
    Brigitte Le Brethon

    Brigitte Le Brethon is a French politician, and a member of the UMP. She was born in Campeaux, Calvados, Calvados, France.She was the mayor of Caen from 2001 to 2008....
    , RPR
    Rally for the Republic

    The Rally for the Republic , was a France right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism....
     & UMP
    Union for a Popular Movement

    The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right List of political parties in France.Founded in 2002, the party has an absolute majority in the French National Assembly and a plurality in the French Senate....
  • 2008-2014: Philippe Duron
    Philippe Duron

    Philippe Duron is a French politician. He is mayor of Caen and deputy for Caen-Ouest.Philippe Duron was born June 19, 1947 in Antony . He received a degree in history in 1975 and was a teacher until 1997....
    , PS
    Socialist Party (France)

    The Socialist Party is the largest left-wing politics political party in France. It replaced the French Section of the Workers' International in 1969....


In 1952, the small commune of Venoix
Venoix

Situated west from Caen, in Calvados, France, Venoix long was an independent commune in France. It merged with Caen in 1952 when the development of the nearby city and the need for financially costly infrastructures made it necessary....
 became part of Caen.

In 1990, the agglomeration of Caen was organized into a district, transformed in 2002 into a Communauté d'agglomération
Communauté d'agglomération

An agglomeration community is a metropolitan government structure in France, created by the Jean-Pierre Chev?nement Law of 1999. It is the second most integrated form of commune in France#intercommunality after the Urban communities in France....
 (Grand Caen (Greater Caen), renamed Caen la Mer
Communauté d'agglomération Caen la Mer

The communaut? d'agglom?ration Caen la Mer is a France communaut? d'agglom?ration, located in the Calvados d?partement in France, in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France....
 in 2004), gathers 29 towns and villages, including Villons-les-Buissons
Villons-les-Buissons

Villons-les-Buissons is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in the Basse-Normandie Regions of France in northern France....
, Lions-sur-mer, Hermanville-sur-mer, which joined the Communauté d'agglomération in 2004. The population of the "communauté d'agglomération" is around 220000 inhabitants.

In the former administrative organisation, Caen was a part of 9 cantons, of which it is the chief town. These cantons contain a total of 13 towns. Caen gives its name to a 10th canton, of which it is not part.

Transport


Caen has a recently built, controversial guided bus system - built by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is the rail transport equipment division of the Bombardier group. Bombardier Transportation is the world?s largest company in the rail equipment manufacturing and servicing industry....
 and modelled on its Guided Light Transit
Bombardier Guided Light Transit

Guided Light Transit is a public transport system manufactured by Bombardier Transportation and used in the France cities of Nancy and Caen....
 technology - and a very efficient network of city buses, operated under the name Twisto
Twisto

Twisto is the brand name under which buses and guided bus are operated in the Norman city of Caen. The CTAC owns the buses and has been commercialising services under the Twisto brand since 2002....
. Faced with the residents' anger against the project, the municipality had to pursue the project with only 23% of the population in favour of the new form of transport - residents were in favour of trams rather than buses. The road layout of the city centre was deeply transformed and the formerly traffic-jam-free centre's problems are still unresolved. The city is also connected to the rest of the Calvados département by the Bus Verts du Calvados
Bus Verts du Calvados

Bus Verts du Calvados is the bus compagny operating cross country buses in the d?partement of Calvados, France. The parent company of the Bus Verts is Keolis Calvados, the old Courriers Normands company which operated buses in and around Caen after the closure of the Tramway de Caen in 1935....
 bus network.

Caen - Carpiquet Airport
Caen - Carpiquet Airport

Caen - Carpiquet Airport or A?roport de Caen - Carpiquet is an airport located in Carpiquet and 6 km west of Caen, both Communes of France of the Calvados Departments of France in the Basse-Normandie Regions of France of France....
 is the biggest airport in Lower-Normandy considering the number of passengers that it serves every year, and offers commuting possibilities to the whole of Europe. Most flights are operated by Brit Air
Brit Air

Brit Air is a regional airline based at Morlaix, Brittany, France, operating scheduled services as an Air France franchise. Its main base is Ploujean Airport, Morlaix, and it has hubs at Lyon-Saint Exup?ry Airport, Paris-Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Paris....
 and Chalair Aviation
Chalair Aviation

Chalair Aviation, previously Chalair, is an airline based in Caen, France. It provides scheduled services with the A5 Airlinair code under a Franchising agreement, using Beechcraft turboprops, as well as corporate shuttle services, freight , business and sanitary flights, pilot certification and training, aircraft management and eng...
 and the French national airline Air France
Air France

Air France , based in Paris, France, is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance....
 operates three daily flights to the French city of Lyon
Lyon

||-||}Lyon, also known as Lyons in English, is a city in east-central France. Its name is pronounced in French language and Franco-Proven?al language, and or in English language....
, while in the summer there are many charter flights to Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, Tunisia
Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast....
, Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
 and Algeria
Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country of the Mediterranean sea, second largest in the Arab World, and the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area....
.

Caen is served by the small port of Ouistreham
Ouistreham

Ouistreham is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the Calvados d?partement in France in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France of France....
, lying at the mouth of the Caen Canal where it meets the English Channel
English Channel

The English Channel is an Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover....
. A ferry service operates between Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 and Caen/Ouistreham running both standard roll-on-roll-off car ferries and supercat fast ferries, with the latter making crossing from March to November. The ferry terminal is from Caen with a daytime shuttle bus service for foot passengers.

Caen is connected to the rest of France by motorways
Autoroute

Autoroute is the French word for a major high-speed road restricted to motor vehicles without crossings and having limited access. Those are similar to a motorway or freeway in English-speaking countries....
 to Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 (A13
A13 autoroute

Autoroute 13, or L'Autoroute de Normandie links Paris to Caen, Calvados.The motorway starts in Paris at the Porte d'Auteuil, a former gate of the Paris walls, and ends at Mondeville, Calvados's Mondeville 2 exchange junction on Caen's ring road....
), Brittany
Brittany

Brittany is a former independent Celtic nations monarchy and duchy, now incorporated into France. It is also, more generally, the name of the cultural area whose limits correspond to the historic province and independent duchy....
 (A84
A84 autoroute

The A84 autoroute is a motorway in western France completed on 27 January 2003. The motorway connects Rennes in Brittany with Caen in Basse-Normandie....
) and soon to Le Mans
Le Mans

Le Mans is a commune in France in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine , it is now the pr?fecture of the Sarthe D?partement in France, and is furthermore the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans....
 (A88-A28
A28 autoroute

Autoroute 28 is an Autoroutes of France linking Abbeville in Somme to Tours in Indre-et-Loire.The motorway starts at Abbeville splitting from the A16 autoroute and, after merging with the A13 autoroute near Rouen, ends at Tours, merging with the A10 autoroute....
). The A13 is a toll road
Toll road

A toll road, , is a road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels....
 while the A84 is a toll-free motorway. The city is encircled by the N814 ring-road
Périphérique (Caen)

The P?riph?rique de Caen is a ring road circling the France city of Caen. It is made of branches of the A13 autoroute and N813 and is the only complete and numbered ring road in France....
 that was completed in the late 1990s. The N13
Route nationale 13

The N13 is a trunk road in France between Paris and Cherbourg....
 connects Caen to Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville

Cherbourg-Octeville is a Communes of France in the Manche Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France.It was formed when the city of Cherbourg absorbed Octeville on February 28, 2000, and was officially renamed Cherbourg-Octeville....
 and to Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
. A section of the former N13 (Caen-Paris) is now D613 (in Calvados) following road renumbering. The N814 ring-road includes an impressive viaduct
Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something....
 called the Viaduc de Calix that goes over the canal and River Orne
Orne River

The Orne is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of S?es....
. The canal links the city to the sea to permit cargo ships and ferries to dock in the port of Caen
Port of Caen

The Port of Caen, Port de Caen, is the Harbor and port authority of the Normandy city of Caen, France.The port of Caen is composed of a series of basins on the Canal de Caen ? la Mer, linking Caen to Ouistreham, 15 km downstream, on the English Channel....
. Ferries which have docked include the Quiberon
MV Quiberon

The M/V Quiberon was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries between 1982 and 2002. She now operates on the Mediterranean for Euroferrys under the name Guila D'Abundo....
 and the Duc de Normandie
MV Duc de Normandie

Duc de Normandie was a ferry operated by Brittany Ferries. MV Prinses Beatrix was built in 1978 by Verolme Shipyard, in Holland and worked for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland on their joint Sealink route between Hoek van Holland and Harwich, Parkeston Quay....
.

Although a fraction of what it used to be remains, Caen once boasted an extensive rail and tram network. From 1895 until 1936 the Compagnie des Tramways Electriques de Caen
Tramway de Caen

This article is about the first Tram system in Caen, for information about the Guided bus of Caen, see Caen Guided Light Transit.The Tramway de Caen was a Tram system serving the city of Caen, France....
 (Electrical Tramway Company of Caen) operated all around the city. Caen also had several main and branch railway lines linking Caen railway station
Gare de Caen

Caen, Gare de l'Ouest or Gare Calvados, is the main and now only station serving the city of Caen. The station stands on the main line from Ligne Paris-Caen and although it mainly is an intercity station many regional trains use the station....
 to all parts of Normandy with lines to Paris, Vire
Vire

Vire is a Communes of the Calvados department and the seat of a Cantons of France of the Calvados departments of France in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France of France....
, Flers
Flers, Orne

Flers is a Communes of France in the Orne Departments of France in northwestern France.The inhabitants are called Fl?riens.Geography ...
, Cabourg
Cabourg

Cabourg is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in the Basse-Normandie r?gions of France of France....
, Houlgate
Houlgate

Houlgate is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the Calvados d?partement in France in the Basse-Normandie r?gion in France of France....
, Deauville
Deauville

Deauville is a Communes of the Calvados d?partement in the Calvados d?partements of France in the Basse-Normandie r?gions of France of France....
, Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô

Saint-L? is a Communes of France in northwestern France, the capital of the Manche Departments of France in Normandy....
, Bayeux
Bayeux

Bayeux is a Communes of France in the Calvados Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the oldest surviving complete tapestries in the world....
 and Cherbourg
Cherbourg-Octeville

Cherbourg-Octeville is a Communes of France in the Manche Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France.It was formed when the city of Cherbourg absorbed Octeville on February 28, 2000, and was officially renamed Cherbourg-Octeville....
. Now only the electrified line of Paris-Cherbourg, Caen-Le Mans
Le Mans

Le Mans is a commune in France in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine , it is now the pr?fecture of the Sarthe D?partement in France, and is furthermore the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans....
 and Caen-Rennes
Rennes

Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the Capital of the Bretagne Regions of France, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France....
 subsist with minimal services.

Education


  • The University of Caen, Université de Caen, has around 25 000 students in three different campuses, all linked by a tramway. The University is divided into 11 colleges, called UFR (Unité fondamentale de Recherche), 6 institutes, 1 Engineering School, 2 IUP and five local campus. The University is one of the oldest in France, having been founded by Henry VI, King of England in 1432.


  • Caen also has a Fine Arts school (Ecole des Beaux-Arts) and "grandes écoles" such as the École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen
    École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen

    The ?cole nationale sup?rieure d'ing?nieurs de Caen & Centre de Recherche , which translates as National Graduate School of Engineering & Research Center, is one of the French "grandes ?coles ", whose main purpose is to form chemical, electronical, and computer science engineers ....
    .


Miscellaneous


Famous Caennais

Caen was the birthplace of:
  • Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester
    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester

    Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England, and one of the dominant figures of the period of English history sometimes called The Anarchy....
     (c. 1090-1147), illegitimate son of Henry I of England
    Henry I of England

    Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II of England as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106....
  • Jean Bertaut
    Jean Bertaut

    Jean Bertaut , France poet, was born at Caen.He figures with Philippe Desportes in the disdainful couplet of Nicolas Boileau-Despr?aux on Pierre de Ronsard:...
     (1552-1611), poet
    Poet

    A poet is a person who writes poetry....
  • François Le Métel de Boisrobert
    François le Métel de Boisrobert

    Fran?ois le M?tel de Boisrobert , was a France poet....
     (1592-1662), poet
  • François de Malherbe
    François de Malherbe

    Fran?ois de Malherbe was a France poet, critic, and translator....
     (1555-1628), poet
    Poet

    A poet is a person who writes poetry....
    , critic
    Critic

    The word critic comes from the Greek language ' , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word ' , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation....
     and translator (Malherbe's birthplace has survived)
  • Tanneguy Le Fèvre (1615-1672), classical scholar
  • Jean Renaud de Segrais
    Jean Renaud de Segrais

    Jean Renaud de Segrais was a France poet and novelist born in Caen.In 1662, he was elected a member of the Acad?mie fran?aise....
     (1624-1701), poet
    Poet

    A poet is a person who writes poetry....
     and novelist
  • Pierre Daniel Huet
    Pierre Daniel Huet

    Pierre Daniel Huet was a France churchman and scholar, Editing of the Delphin Classics and Bishop of Soissons from 1685 to 1689 and afterwards of Avranches....
     (1630-1721), churchman and scholar
  • René Auguste Constantin de Renneville (1650-1723), writer
  • Pierre Varignon
    Pierre Varignon

    Pierre Varignon was a France mathematician. He was educated at the Society of Jesus College and the University of Caen in Caen, where he received his M.A....
     (1654-1722), mathematician
    Mathematician

    A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and/or research is the field of mathematics....
  • Charlotte Corday
    Charlotte Corday

    Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont , known to history as Charlotte Corday, was a figure of the French Revolution. In 1793, she was executed under the guillotine for the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, who was responsible for the Reign of Terror....
     (d. 1793), assassin of Marat
    Marat

    Marat can refer to:-People* Jean-Paul Marat , Swiss-born scientist and physician and noted character of the French Revolution*Marat Ganeyev , Russian track cyclist...
  • François Henri Turpin
    François Henri Turpin

    Fran?ois Henri Turpin was a France man of letters.He was born at Caen. He was first a professor at the university of Caen, then went to seek his fortunes in Paris, where he made some stir in philosophical circles, and especially in that of the magnificent Helvetius; but he was only able to earn a livelihood with difficulty by putting his p...
     (1709-1799), man of literature
  • Jean de Crèvecoeur
    Jean de Crèvecoeur

    Michel Guillaume Jean de Cr?vec?ur , naturalized in New York as John Hector St. John, was a French-American writer. He was born in Caen, Normandy, France, to the Comte and Comtesse de Cr?vec?ur ....
     (1735–1813), French-American writer
  • Jean-Jacques Boisard
    Jean-Jacques Boisard

    Jean-Jacques Fran?ois Marin Boisard was a French people fabulist.He published a collection of eight books totalling 1,001 stories ....
     (1744–1833), writer
    Writer

    A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, as well as those who have written in many different forms....
     who specialized in fable
    Fable

    A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants, inanimate, or nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim ....
    s
  • Gervais Delarue
    Gervais Delarue

    Gervais de La Rue , France historical investigator, formerly regarded as one of the chief authorities on Norman language and Anglo-Norman literature, was a native of Caen....
     (1751-1835), historian
  • Louis Gustave le Doulcet, Comte de Pontécoulant
    Louis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pontécoulant

    Louis Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pont?coulant was a France politician. He was the father of Louis Adolphe le Doulcet, comte de Pont?coulant and Philippe Gustave le Doulcet, comte de Pont?coulant....
     (1764-1853), politician
  • Daniel Auber
    Daniel Auber

    Daniel Fran?ois Esprit Auber was a French composer....
     (1782-1871), composer
    Composer

    A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
  • Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps
    Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps

    Jacques Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps , France naturalist and palaeontologist, was born at Caen in Normandy. His parents, though poor, contrived to give him a good education, and he studied medicine in his native town to such good effect that in 1812 he was appointed assistant-surgeon in the navy, and in 1815 surgeon assistant major to the milita...
     (1794-1867), French
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     naturalist and palaeontologist
  • Étienne Mélingue
    Étienne Mélingue

    ?tienne Marin M?lingue was a France actor and sculpture.He was born in Caen, the son of a volunteer of 1792, He early went to Paris and obtained work as a sculptor on the church of the Madeleine, but his passion for the stage soon led him to join a strolling company of comedians....
     (1808-1875), actor
    Actor

    An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
     and sculptor
    Sculpture

    Sculpture is Three-dimensional space artwork created by shaping or combining hard and or plastic material, sound, and or text and or light, commonly Stone sculpture , metal, glass, or wood....
  • Jules Danbé
    Jules Danbé

    Jules Danb? was a French people conducting, mainly of opera, born in Caen on 16 November 1840, and died 30 October 1905. Trained as a violinist, he was a pupil of Girard and Savard, in 1859 winning a first prize for violin....
     (1840-1905) opera conductor
  • André Danjon
    André Danjon

    Andr?-Louis Danjon was a France astronomer born in Caen.Danjon devised a method to measure "Earthshine" on the Moon using a telescope in which a prism split the Moon's image into two identical side-by-side images....
     (1890-1967), astronomer
    Astronomer

    An astronomer is a scientist who studies Celestial body such as planets, stars, and Galaxy.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using physical laws....
  • Marie-Pierre Koenig (1898-1970), general who commanded a Free French Brigade at the Battle of Bir Hakeim
    Battle of Bir Hakeim

    Bir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Ottoman Empire fort. During the Battle of Gazala the 1st Free French Division of Marie Pierre Koenig defended the site from 26 May to 11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Erwin Rommel....
     in 1942, Maréchal de France
  • Joel Thomas
    Joël Thomas

    Jo?l Thomas is a France professional Football who plays as a striker for Hamilton Academical F.C., having previously played for FC Girondins de Bordeaux and FC Kaiserslautern....
     (1987- ), Professional football player with Scottish team Hamilton Academical


Twinnings

Caen is twinned with: Pernik
Pernik

Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 91,883 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains....
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria

The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....
 Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
, USA Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 128,283....
, USA Coventry
Coventry

Coventry is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. With a population of 303,475 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Portsmouth
Portsmouth

Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Würzburg
Würzburg

W?rzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken....
, Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Thiès
Thiès

Thi?s is the third largest city in Senegal with a population officially estimated at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east of Dakar on the N2 road and at the junction of railway lines to Dakar, Bamako and Saint-Louis, Senegal....
, Senegal
Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the S?n?gal River in West Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south....
 Caen has been twinned with Alexandria, Virginia-USA since 1991. The sister city relationship sees delegations visiting between the two cities on a regular basis. Exchanges of students have been common. Musicians and choirs from the two cities have also made very successful exchange visits. The Toussaint/Halloween period is a time of year when a delegation from Caen will often visit Alexandria.

See also

  • Stade Malherbe de Caen
    SM Caen

    Stade Malherbe de Caen is a France football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The team is named after Fran?ois de Malherbe , a poet, critic and translator, who was a native of Caen....
    , Caen's football
    Football (soccer)

    Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
     team
  • Caen Stone
    Caen stone

    Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.It was used in the construction of the late eleventh century austere Norman Romanesque Church of Saint-?tienne, at the Abbaye-aux-Hommes , that was founded by William the Conqueror....
  • Operation Charnwood
    Operation Charnwood

    BackgroundAs part of Allied plans for the Invasion of Normandy, Caen had been a D-Day objective for the British 2nd Army. The capture of Caen and its surrounding plain was considered important to allow the Allies space to build airfields, to enable further freedom of movement south, and to pose such a threat that it would draw in German reserv...
  • Operation Overlord
    Operation Overlord

    Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of Western Front during World War II by Western Allies forces. The operation began with the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 , among the largest amphibious warfares ever conducted....


External links