Abbey of Saint-Étienne, Caen

The Abbey of Saint-Étienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ("Men's Abbey") by contrast with the

The concurrent founding of the Abbey of Saint-Étienne to the west of the

The dedication took place in 1077. William's wife Matilda died in 1083 and was buried in the Abbaye aux Dames. After his own death in 1087 in Rouen, the body of King William was sent to Caen to be buried in Saint-Étienne, according to his wishes. The funeral, attended by the bishops and abbots of Normandy as well as his son Henry, was disturbed by the assertion of a citizen of Caen who alleged that his family had been illegally despoiled of the land on which the church was built. After hurried consultations the allegation was shown to be true, and the man was compensated. A further indignity occurred when the corpse was lowered into the tomb. The corpse was too large for the space, and when attendants forced the body into the tomb it burst, spreading a disgusting odour throughout the church.^[3]

William's tomb has been disturbed several times since 1087, the first time in 1522 when the grave was opened on orders from the papacy. The intact body was restored to the tomb at that time. In 1562, during the French Wars of Religion, the grave was again opened and the original tombstone of black marble, similar to that of Matilda in the Abbaye aux Dames, was destroyed. William's bones were scattered and lost, with the exception of one thigh bone. This lone relic was reburied in 1642 with a new marker, which was replaced 100 years later with a more elaborate monument. This tomb was again destroyed during the French Revolution, but was eventually replaced with the current early 19th-century ledger stone in white marble.^[4]

Architecture

The abbey was to be built in Caen stone, and construction began in 1066.^[1] For many decades during the 11th century, there was a mutually fruitful competition between Saint-Étienne and its sister building Sainte-Trinité. The west façade was built at the end of the 11th century.^[2]

An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the

(using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadripartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

Later history

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt.

The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church.

From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the

See also

• French Romanesque architecture

References

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abbaye aux Hommes (Caen).

• ISBN 978-0-300-05298-5
  .
• Bouet, Georges, 1868: Analyse architecturale de l'abbaye de Saint-Etienne de Caen. Caen: Le Blanc-Hardel
• Davy, R., 1954: Le grand orgue de L'Abbaye aux Hommes à Caen. Caen: Caron
• Gouhier, P., Fortier, J.A., 1974: L'Abbaye aux Hommes : Saint-Etienne de Caen. Nancy: Cefag
• Hippeau, Célestin, 1855: L'Abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Caen, 1066-1790. Caen: A. Hardel
• Decauville Lachênée, Abel, 1895: Le Lycée et l'Abbaye de St-Étienne de Caen. Caen: Chez tous les libraires
• Sauvage, R.N., 1911: Le Fonds de l'abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Caen aux archives du Calvados. Caen: H. Delesques

External links

• Visiting information (in French)

49°10′54″N 0°22′22″W / 49.18167°N 0.37278°W / 49.18167; -0.37278