Come stroll with me...

Photo by Michael Mulkens

...through the ancient Norman town of Falaise. It has a fascinating history and is connected to some people whose names have lived through the centuries...

I'm camped in the town of Falaise today and, as is my usual habit, I'm taking a look at the town before I decide how long I want to stay - I think it might be quite a while.  The municipal campsite is situated to the north of the grounds and ancient walls of the old fort, which sits on a craggy outcrop, thereby giving a strategic advantage to the inhabitants.  When you've got the river l'Ante trickling past the bottom of your pitch and an uninterrupted view of the fortifications and the castle… Well, what's not to like about that?

According to my dictionary the word falaise, means cliff or inland outcrop or crag.  Looking at an aerial photograph of the town it's easy to see why the castle was sited where it is and how the name came about.  The modern town is sits around and at the side and to the north of the ancient fort.  Although there is evidence of pre-historic settlement in the area it was between the first and fifth centuries that Falaise and its outlying areas began to become established settlements.  The castle that can seen and visited today was built between the twelfth and thriteenth centuries and replaced an earlier fortress - but more about that in a moment.

From the campsite it's an easy walk into town, through Port Philippe Jean and then take a right.  A short distance through the modern buildings - unfortunately Falaise suffered severe bombardment in the 1939-45 conflict - will bring you to an imposing statue in the centre of a large open square.  A knight holding a standard, on his destrier en pose rampante, to use heraldic terminology, and looking every bit the commander of whatever battle scene was envisaged by the sculptor.  Check out the plaque and you'll find the statue is of Guillaume le Conquérant - William the Conqueror.  Yep, that's right he's the Norman guy who crossed to England in 1066 and it was here in Falaise in the original fort in 1035 that William was born.

A short walk and a right past the stunning Gothic church, Église de la Trinité, takes you onto rue Rollon.  Rollon is the French version of the old Norse name of Rollo.  So, I'm now walking along a street named after a Viking who invaded what was then referred to as Frankia.

Église de la Trinité and rooftops from the fort

Rollo became Count of Rouen, married Poppa of Bayeux and it was his son, William Longsword, and grandson, Richard the Fearless, who shaped the Duchy of Normandy.  Having checked the family tree it means that Rollo is William the Conqueror's great-great-great grandfather.

I've decided to save visits to the church and the fort for another day, so I'm just heading into the town centre for some provisions.  Rue Rollon bleeds into rue Trinité and thence into place Belle Croix.  There's very little of the original historic town left.  Falaise was so fiercely fought over during Operation Overlord, that two-thirds of the town was destroyed before it was liberated in August 1944, by the 2^nd Canadian Infantry Division.  And that's only a fraction of the history of this small provicial town.

If you want to read about more of my travels you may wish to join me in Bar-sur-Seine or in the Cévennes