PROGRAM. An outstanding heritage site

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1 PROGRAM An outstanding heritage site

2 An architectural masterpiece of medieval art and 18 th Century Consecrated in 1077, the abbey church represents the oldest part of the site, with most of the features dating back to the 11 th century. For seven centuries, the Benedictine monks carried out their religious services in the church. The choir was redesigned in the 13 th century to reflect the prevailing Gothic style and since 1087 has been home to the tomb of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England. Boasting a magnificent combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles, the abbey church became a parish church in The abbey church still opens for worship and is included in most guided tours, except during church service. The abbey church is open every day from 9 am to 6 pm (2 pm to 6 pm on Sundays). The monastery was erected in the 11 th Century, but destroyed during the First War of Religion ( ), before being rebuilt in the 18 th Century. The monastic buildings are built around a Tuscan-style cloister epitomising the classical Italian style. Unscathed by the French Revolution and the bombing campaign of 1944, the monastery rooms have lost none of their original splendour, such as their carved wood panels, paintings, wrought ironwork and chandeliers. The buildings are today headquarters of Caen City Hall. The abbey also used to be a farm and an inn. It still houses a cider press, a carriage house and a bakery. Two 14 th 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

3 Permanent exhibition areas In the 11 th century, William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy and King of England, transformed Caen into «one of the most powerful cities of its time». The Abbaye-aux-Hommes isone of the most striking buildings to emerge from this period, as are the Ducal Castle and the Abbaye-aux-Dames. This area has been set up in the former monks calefactory to shed light on the abbey s origins and how Caen transformed into a thriving city. Drawings, texts and pictures have been added to enhance the display of the facsimile of the abbey s charter of confirmation. The reproduction of the royal seals of the Anglo-Norman kings shows the Conqueror s key figures and his heirs at a time when the Duke of Normandy was in charge of a near-empire and wielded more power than the King of France. New During the Battle for Caen and the bombing campaign that brought destruction to the city in June and July 1944, the Abbaye-aux-Hommes was commandeered as a refuge for thousands of civilians. Housed in the abbey s former gatehouse, this exhibition pays tribute to the city s inhabitants with a scenic design boasting a wealth of photos, archives and personal items. The route winding through the exhibition features an invaluable series of testimonials and offers a clear insight into daily life for the civilian population during the summer of 1944, while explaining how life continued thanks to the sheer courage and dedication of all those who stood united as the bombs rained down upon their city. Discover those two areas on guided tours or self-guided tours.

4 Landing of William the Conqueror on the English Coast, painting by Nicolas Bernard Lépicié Refectory Guardroom Born in Falaise in 1027, William was the designated sole heir to the ducal throne upon his father s death. Towards 1050, William married his distant cousin Matilda of Flanders. Matilda and William founded the Abbaye-aux-Dames, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the Abbaye-aux- Hommes, dedicated to Saint Stephen. 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, William took up arms to assert his claim to the throne. He emerged victorious at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066, whereupon he became William «the Conqueror». According to his wishes, he was interred in the Abbey Church of Saint Stephen in Caen. Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne Chapter room

5 Exhibition Prices: - Discovery tour (exhibition + self-guided tour) of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes: 4 - Exhibition only: 3 - Free: under-18s, unemployed visitors and local inhabitants... (see terms and conditions at reception) 25 March > 15 May 2018 To celebrate the 250 th anniversary of Charlotte Corday s birth Exhibition: «Charlotte Corday, une amazone de la Révolution» Approximately 100 original exhibits and countless historical documents will go on public show in Caen for the first time. Organised through the exceptional partnership with Versailles City Council, the Musée Lambinet and the Ecole Nationale des Gobelins, featuring contributions from the Musée de la Toile de Jouy, the Calvados Departmental Archives and Caen Museum of Fine Arts. - Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5:30 pm - Fridays from 9 am to 4:30 pm - Weekends and bank holidays from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5:30 pm Staged by Caen City Council as part of the Charlotte Corday annual programme. Exhibition-related events Themed guided tours - The Abbaye-aux-Hommes in Charlotte Corday s time amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution Wednesdays: 28 March and 4, 11, 18 & 25 April and 2 & 9 May at 3 pm (50 minutes) The tour also touches upon Caen s key figures during this turbulent chapter in French history. Meeting point: main hall - by advanced booking only - limited places available (20 people). Price: 5.50 guided tour + exhibition (admission to the exhibition on the same day as the guided tour) - Other: see terms and conditions at reception - The Abbaye-aux-Hommes during the Age of Enlightenment Wednesdays: 13 June, 11 July and 8 August at 2:30 pm (90 minutes) A tour of the abbey during the 18 th century, starting with its reconstruction in 1704 and ending with the Revolution. Meeting point: main hall - by advanced booking only - limited places available (20 people). Standard price: 7 - Concessions: 5.50

6 Summer 2018 To celebrate the 30 th birthday of the Caen Mémorial Exhibition: «30 exhibits from the Mémorial museum» To celebrate the 30 th birthday of the Caen Mémorial museum in style, Caen City Council and the museum have joined forces to stage an exceptional exhibition featuring 30 iconic exhibits on show to the public. Most of the items will be specially selected from the museum s reserved collection and will therefore be relatively unknown to the general public... Exhibition-related events Themed guided tour - The summer of 1944: life for refugees in the abbey The events that marked the summer of 1944 began during the afternoon of 6 June as the Allies unleashed their bombs upon Caen s city centre. The abbey served as a makeshift shelter for the local inhabitants until the left bank was liberated on 9 July. To coincide with these two «key dates», a guided tour is being organised to offer an insight into life for the abbey s refugees, while presenting the new exhibition area entitled «Caen, the summer of 1944: life goes on» (the tour on 9 July is followed by a ceremony commemorating the liberation of the left bank in Place Monseigneur-des-Hameaux at 5 pm). Wednesday, 6 June at 6 pm and Monday, 9 July at 3 pm (90 minutes) Meeting point: main hall - by advanced booking only - limited places available (20 people). Standard price: 7 - Concessions: 5.50 Conference - Condemned to the furnace or spared for historical interest? The fate of metal public monuments and statues in Calvados during the Vichy regime Public conference by the Society of Antiquaries of Normandy (keynote speaker Emmanuel Luis) Saturday, 9 June at 3 pm - Refectory. Free admission - limited places available. Find all the details on

7 Meeting point: main hall inside the City Hall Ticket sales end 30 mins before the building closes. Embark on a guided tour of the abbey and discover its most prestigious areas, including the 18 th century monastery rooms, cloister, guardroom, cider press and abbey church. Circuits according to room availability and times. - 1 October to 31 March: standard concessions 4 - groups 4 / pers. - 1 April to 30 September: standard 7 - concessions groups 5.50/ pers. - Free* : for the under-18 s and unemployed visitors... * Proof of entitlement required; see terms and conditions at reception Tour times: - 1 October to 31 March (Site closed on 25 December and 1 January) Monday to Friday at 10:30 am and 2 pm. Sundays during school holidays and bank holidays at 10:30 am, 2 pm and 4 pm. - 1 April to 30 June and 1 to 30 September (Site closed on 1 May) Every day at 10:30 am, 2 pm and 4 pm. - 1 July to 31 August Every day at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm and 5:30 pm. Monday to Friday at 11 am, 1:30 pm and 4 pm (by English-language students welcomed as part of Caen s twinning arrangement with Portsmouth and Alexandria). Opening Hour 8am > 6:30pm 8am > 6pm 8am > 5pm Closed * : Self-guided tour only ** : Subject to change 9:30am > 6:30pm 9:30am > 1pm 2pm > 6pm 9am > 1pm 2pm > 5:30pm European Days of Heritage Apr. S M T W T F S S M May T W T F S S M T W June F S S M T W T F S Jui. S M T W T F S S M Aug. W T F S S M T W T Sept. S S M T W T F S S Oct. M T W T F S* S M T Nov. T F S* S M T W T F Dec. S* S M T W T W S* S 2019 / Janv. T W T F S S M T W Feb. F S* S M T W T F S* Mar. F S* S M T W T F S*

8 Throughout the year, discover the cloister, calefactory («Anglo- Norman World» exhibition area), scriptorium and grand staircase as well as the gatehouse («Summer of 1944» exhibition area). - Discovery tour: 4 Price applicable during temporary exhibitions with an admission charge. - Discovery tour: 3 Price applicable if no temporary exhibitions with an admission charge. Opening times: - 1 October to 31 March (Site closed on 25 December and 1 January) Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 6 pm. Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm. Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 5:30 pm. Sundays during school holidays and bank holidays from 9:30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm. - 1 April to 30 June and 1 to 30 September (Site closed on 1 May) Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 6 pm. Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm. Weekends and bank holidays from 9:30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm. - 1 July to 31 August Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6:30 pm. Weekends and bank holidays from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S* S* M T W T S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S T W T F S S M T F T F S S M T W T F S S M T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S W T F S* S M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S M T W S* S** M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S M T W T F M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S** M** T W T F S* S** M** T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T S M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S M T W T S M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S M T W T F S* S City of Caen. Photos F. Decaëns-City of Caen, DR and X. Subject to change. Printing house : Le Reverend - April 2018

9 MONUMENTS AND SITES HERITAGE COLLECTION Abbaye- aux- Hommes 5 1 Abbaye-aux-Hommes the Heritage Collection On sale now at reception! Cloister Practical information Individuals : no booking required Recommended parking: «hôtel de ville» underground car park Groups Coaches may park along the City Hall Esplanade - Guided tours from Monday to Friday (except bank holidays) - Bookings must be made by telephone +33 (0) School groups: several topics available (contact: abbayeauxhommes@caen.fr) Payment: cash, credit/debit card Accessible tours and services. Shop: works, postcards, memorabilia... Caen has received the national «City of Art and History» title, in recognition of the city s rich heritage. In 2017, Abbaye-aux-Hommes has received the national «Tourism and Disability» mark (mental and hearing disability)

10 Travelling to Caen - Visiting the abbey By road: Caen is 220 km from Paris (A13) and 190 km from Rennes (A84). By rail: Caen is a two-hour train journey from Paris. By air: Caen-Carpiquet Airport is 10 minutes from Caen city centre. By sea: Ouistreham ferry terminal is 15 minutes from Caen city centre. The ferry trip between Caen and Portsmouth takes six hours. Mémorial de Caen Arromanches Courseulles Douvres Château ducal Office de tourisme Cherbourg Bayeux Boulevard périphérique Abbayeaux-Dames Ouistreham Cabourg Centre ville RENNES (A84) Mont-Saint-Michel Falaise Alençon Flers PARIS (A13) Rouen Lisieux Hôtel de ville Contact and booking: Ville de Caen Reception / Guided tours Abbaye-aux-Hommes Caen City Hall Esplanade Jean-Marie-Louvel CAEN cedex 9 Tel: +33 (0) abbayeauxhommes@caen.fr