Falaise lies at the eastern edge of theArmorican Massif, and the town has rocky outcrops on its edges such as the 173 metre high Mount Myrrha.[5][6]
The commune is spread over an area of 11.84 square kilometres (2,930 acres) with a maximum altitude of 188 metres (616 ft 10 in) and minimum of 89 metres (292 ft 0 in)[7]
Flowing through Falaise are the riverAnte and the river Trainefeuille, both tributaries of the riverDives.[8][9][10]
According to the 2018CORINE Land Cover assessment, it shows that just over a third,35% (416 hectares (1,030 acres)) isMeadows, closely followed at 29% by Urbanised.[7] The rest of the land isArable land at 24%, Industrial and commercial spaces at 9% and the remaining 2% (24 hectares (59 acres)) is Forest.[7]
The area around Falaise has been inhabited fromMesolithic times (approximately 7000BC) , but it was only at the end of the prehistoric period and the beginning of the Gallo-Roman era that the area, Falaise in particular, was regularly inhabited.[14][15] Evidence of settlement from the time has been found at Vaston, an agricultural area just north-east of the modern town.[16]
Falaise, as it is sited today, probably came into being around the castle.[citation needed]
The town was the birthplace ofWilliam the Conqueror, first of theNorman kings of England. He was frequently referred to as William the Bastard, on account of his being born out of wedlock toHerleva from Falaise, reputedly a tanner's daughter.[18]
At the end of the 12th centauryPhilip II of France took control of Normandy and Falaise from the Normans, and building a new Tower for the towns castle, as well as restoring the Holy Trinity Church in the town.[20][21]
The town was also the place that Rabbi Yom Tov of Falaise, grandchild ofRashi, held his rabbinical court, during the 13th centaury.[22]
In January 1590 the castle was besieged by the troops ofHenry IV of France as part of theFrench Wars of Religion.[24][14] The damaged caused to the castle from the cannons during this last siege marked the end of Falaise being a significant military strategic point.[25]
After the Liberation of Falaise by the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division on 17 August 1944, U.S. troops pose with a captured German flag by a knocked-out tank.
In modern times, it is known for the battle of theFalaise pocket during theAllied reconquest of France (calledOperation Overlord) in August 1944 in which two German armies were encircled and destroyed by the allied armies. Some 10,000 German troops were killed and 50,000 taken prisoner.[27]
Two-thirds of Falaise was destroyed by allied bombing before the town was taken by a combined force of Canadian and Polish troops. Falaise was largely restored after the war.[28]
Postcard showing the old railway line at foot of the castle
In 1953Falaise station stopped its public rail services, having served the town for 94 years.[29] The station continued serving freight only before finally closing in 1990, when it was demolished and replaced with a supermarket.[30]
The main attraction for the town is theChâteau de Falaise, which was used by Norman royalty as the seat of theDukes of Normandy, until the 13th century, when it was captured by KingPhilip II of France. It is commonly known as Château Guillaume le Conquérant or William the Conqueror's Castle as he was born here.[32] In 1840 it was declared amonument historique in 1840, and today is open to the public.[33]
In addition to the castle Falaise has another 23 buildings and areas listed as amonument historique.[34] Three of these listed buildings, the old courthouse and two houses, are no longer remaining as were destroyed duringWorld War II.[34][35][36][37] Another three listed buildings are town houses from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.[38][39][40] The remaining 17 listed sites are below:
Château de la Fresnaye – a seventeenth-century chateau, home of Nicolas Vauquelin, which was listed as a monument in 1945.[41] Since 1986 it has been owned by the city and is now used for hosting exhibitions.[42][43]
Statue of William the Conqueror – a nineteenth-century statue, showing William the Conqueror, mounted on a horse, and carrying theGonfalon which had been handed over to him byPope Alexander II.[44] The statue was created by Louis Rochet, and was listed as a monument in 2024.[44]
Place Guillaume-le-Conquérant – The cobblestone floor surrounding the statue and leading to the castle was listed as a monument in 1935.[45]
Old City walls – Remains of the 13th century and 17th century city walls, which were first listed as a monument in 1927.[46]
Covered market – Built in 1953 to replace the old grain hall which was destroyed during the war, the building was listed as a monument in 2010.[47]
Mesnil-Besnard Manor – a 16th-century manor house listed as a monument in 1987.[48]
Hôtel-Dieu – a thirteenth century place for the sick and elderly to receive care.[49] In 1764 it was converted to a chapel; it remained as such until World War 2, when it was almost completely destroyed.[49] During the 1960s and 1970s it was completely restored and is now the Cities Library.[49] It was registered as a monument in 1927.[50]
La Romaine Inn – Former seventeenth century hostel, which was listed as a monument in 1946.[51]
Inn sign – a 17th-century carved stone sign for an Inn, listed as a monument in 1946.[52]
Guibray fair lodges – Former 18th century lodge house, registered as a monument in 1975.[53]
Hotel Saint-Léonard – an 18th-century hotel that was listed as a monument in 1968.[54]
Les Rives Hotel – a former hotel built in the 18th century, that was recently discovered to be on top of medieval remains.[55] The building was listed as a monument in 1967.[56]
Louis Liard Lycée – This secondary school for boys was built in the third quarter of the 20th century after the original school was destroyed in World War 2.[57] The building was listed in 2010.[57]
Church of Our Lady of Guibray – a 12th-centuryRomanesque church listed as a monument in 1961.[58][59]
Church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais – a twelfth-century church whose construction probably began shortly after the conquest of England in 1066, at the instigation of William the Conqueror.[60] It was listed as a monument in 1862.[61]
Church of St. Lawrence – a 12th-century church, built with donations fromMatilda of Flanders.[62] It was listed as a monument in 1927.[63]
Holy Trinity Church – First built in 840 but it was destroyed during the siege of Philippe Auguste then rebuilt in 1204.[64] It was listed in 1889.[65]
Musée des Automates – Established in 1994, the museum is dedicated toAutomatons, mainly ones between 1920 and 1960, with over 300 on display.[66]
André Lemaître Museum – established in 2000 and dedicated to the work of artist André Lemaître.[67] in December 2022 the museum added Micro-Folie de Falaise – Espace André Lemaitre, which allows visitors to access digitally on giant screens 2,500 art works from 12 major French museums.[68]
Memorial des Civils dans La Guerre histoire – inaugurated in 2016, the museum is dedicated to the daily life of the people at the heart of the Second World War and pays tribute to the 20,000 civilians killed during theBattle of Normandy.[69][70]
Church of Our Lady of Guibray
Old City walls of Falaise
Place Guillaume-le-Conquérant
Statue of William the Conqueror
The old hotel dieu in Falaise - now the city library
^Flodoard of Reims (2011). Fanning, Steven; Bachrach, Bernard S. (eds.).The Annals of Flodoard of Reims: 919–966. University of Toronto Press. pp. xx–xxi, 14,16–17.ISBN978-1-44260-001-0.
