Falaise castle : William the Conqueror's birthplace

In the wake of the 21st century, the castle is entering a new era : that of a history teller. Falaise Castle, William the Conqueror's birthplace, welcomed his many successors and direct heirs. Dukes of Normandy and Kings of England, subsequently to be extended during the reign of the French Kings to become, during the Hundred Years'War, a strategic centre, essential to the English domination. The 11th century fortress, built by Henry I Beauclerc, William the Conqueror's son, underwent successive and incessant transformations : its occupants relentlessly endeavouring to consolidate the castle, improving and adapting its defences, but also using the site as a place of residence, bringing to life this majestic and emblematic fortress which was to triumph over the test of time. However, the arrival of gunpowder was to prove fatal. Hence began a period of neglect. The castle had become ineffective and was subsequently abandoned... and to make matters worse, abandoned like a common quarry. It was only in the 19th century that the castle was finally drawn from oblivion and granted the necessary care and attention. But its genuine renaissance dates from the 20th century, around 1980, when a genuine series of restoration campaigns was launched, starting with the keeps, still under restoration today, and continuing with the rehabilitation of the ramparts of the castral enclosure. The latter, made of stone, is among France's oldest. Falaise Castle has progressively recovered its fortified character and its identity. It now welcomes abundant visitors and has become an evocative and commendable heritage site, a prestigious witness to Normandy's history, of which William the Conqueror is the emblematic figure.