Falaise Castle

Falaise Castle is the legendary birthplace of William the Conqueror, where his father Duke Robert I is said to have seen Herleva. The massive stone keep, expanded by Henry I and later Henry II Plantagenet, remains one of the best-preserved Norman castles in France.

Why it mattered

• Birthplace of William the Conqueror
• Ducal dynastic seat
• Symbol of Norman ducal authority

Architecture and the site

• Grand rectangular keep
• Talbot tower (13th century)
• Defensive enceinte

Chronology (selected)

• 1028: William born at Falaise
• 1123: Henry I rebuilds the keep in stone

Further reading

• Joseph Decaëns, "Le château de Falaise" (2000)

Hub essays

• Region context: normandy from grant to duchy and the shared bibliography.
• Castles and fortification: Norman castles — motte to stone.

On the map

Use Open on map to fly to this pin in the Norman expansion era. Layers are teaching overlays — pair them with charters, excavation reports, and the works above.