ClasséAbbey · protected 1840Ancienne abbaye aux HommesPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Viault · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ancien hôtel des Quatrans · Photo: Andy Li · CC090historic monuments
History of Caen · Monuments historiques
90 historic monuments and a protected historic area since 2021
The Culture ministry lists 90 historic monuments in Caen: 29 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 61 inscrit (the second level). That’s 8.2 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 82% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. The oldest date from the 11th century. We have photos of 75 of them.
Monuments historiques
90
8.2 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
29
the highest protection
Inscrit
61
the second level
Oldest part
11th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
4.2%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Caen in 75 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Ancienne abbaye aux HommesClassé
Ancien hôtel d'EscovilleClassé
Ancienne abbaye aux Dames, actuellement siège du conseil régional de Basse-NormandieClassé
Ancienne église de Saint-Etienne-le-Vieux, actuellement magasin communalClassé
Ancien hôtel de ThanClassé+70See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Protected area
Caen has had a protected historic area since 2021
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR28-48 | AVAP February 28, 2021 | AVAP (heritage area rules) February 28, 2021 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Map
Where Caen’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritWithin 400 m of Maison
14 of 29classé monuments stand within 400 m of Maison, with 44 of the town’s 90 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
90 monuments by protection
29 Classé61 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point. 5 monuments have no point on the map.
Classé
29 classé monuments in Caen
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 12 of the 29 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséChurch · protected 1913Ancienne église Saint-NicolasPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséCastle · protected 1997Château, actuellement musées de CaenPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Nikater · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséAbbey · protected 1840Ancienne abbaye aux Dames, actuellement siège du conseil régional de Basse-NormandiePhoto: Johan Allard · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1951Église du Vieux-Saint-Sauveur ou église Saint-Sauveur-du-Marché (ancienne halle au beurre)Photo: Urban · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1886Église Saint-Michel-de-VaucellesPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Ikmo-ned · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChapel · protected 1934Ancienne chapelle du Saint-SépulcrePhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1903Ancienne église de Saint-Etienne-le-Vieux, actuellement magasin communalPhoto: Ikmo-ned · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1889Ancienne église Notre-Dame-de-Froide-Rue ou église Saint-SauveurPhoto: DennisPeeters · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
Classé
Classé
ClasséBuilding · protected 1946Immeuble, ancien musée de la PostePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1927Ancien hôtel de ThanPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1889Hôtel de Mondrainville ou de la MonnaiePhoto: Benoit-caen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1862Maison dite des Gens d'ArmesPhoto: Jean-Eugène Durand · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1909Église Notre-Dame ou de la GloriettePhoto: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 2002Hôtel de BlangyPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPublic building · protected 1963Hôtel de la PréfecturePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1862Ancien hôtel d'EscovillePhoto: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1862Vestiges de l'ancienne église Saint-GillesPhoto: Auteur inconnu Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséBuilding · protected 1947Immeuble, 54 rue Saint-PierrePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 2007Maison, 9 rue de la MonnaiePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Karldupart · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Show the other 5
Church · protected 2007Église Saint-Julien
Convent · protected 2005Monastère des BénédictinesPart of the building is protected
Monument · protected 2011Réservoir ou château d'eau de la Guérinière
Monument · protected 2012Université de Caen - Basse-NormandiePart of the building is protected
House · protected 1938Maison, 10 rue Montoire-PoissonneriePart of the building is protected
Inscrit
61 inscrit monuments in Caen
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
All 61, A to Z
Ancien asile d'aliénés du Bon Sauveur, quartier des Hommes, actuellement D.R.A.C. (direction régionale des affaires culturelles)Ancien clos des CouturesAncien couvent de la Visitation et ancienne caserne de cavalerieAncien hôtel DaumesnilAncien hôtel de ColombyAncien hôtel de FerrageAncien hôtel de Girard-BureauAncien hôtel du Grand-CerfAncien hôtel Duquesnoy-du-ThonAncien hôtel Lebourguignon-DuperréAncien manoir du Pont-CréonAncien manoir du Vaubenard, dans l'enceinte du Centre hospitalier régionalAncienne chambre de commerce et d'industrieBureau de poste GambettaChapelle du Bon SauveurCité-jardin des RosiersÉglise du Sacré-Coeur de la GuérinièreÉglise Saint-OuenEnceinte de la villeHôtel Canteil de CondéHôtel de BanvilleHôtel, 20 place Saint-SauveurImmeuble, 15 rue CaponièreImmeuble, 17 rue CaponièreImmeuble, 22, 24 rue Jean-EudesImmeuble, 23 rue VauquelinImmeuble, 25 rue Saint-MartinImmeuble, 35 rue de GeôleImmeuble, 4 rue FroideMaison dite des TempliersMaison natale de MalherbeMaison ou ancien hôtel ChibourgMaison Sainte-BlaiseMaison, 10 place Saint-SauveurMaison, 10 rue BicoquetMaison, 10 rue HaldotMaison, 14 rue aux NampsMaison, 14 rue des CroisiersMaison, 1bis rue PémagnieMaison, 2 place FontetteMaison, 26 rue Arcisse-de-CaumontMaison, 26 rue des CroisiersMaison, 3 place FontetteMaison, 33, 35 rue FroideMaison, 4 place FontetteMaison, 41 rue FroideMaison, 64 rue de BayeuxMaison, 8 rue des CroisiersMaison, 92 rue BicoquetMaison, cour de l'Ancienne-HalleMaison, dans la cour du Musée des Antiquaires de NormandieMonastère de la VisitationPalais de JusticePavillon de BeuvreluPavillon des Sociétés savantesPrison BeaulieuRestes de l'église Saint-MartinStatue de DuguesclinStatue de Louis XIVTour Guillaume-le-RoyVilla Baumier
25 more, named only by their kind
25 more are named in the list only by their kind: 17 houses (maisons), 7 buildings (immeubles) and 1 town house (hôtel), most from the 17th and 18th centuries. The 25 with an address are in the list above, by it.
14th c.1
15th c.1
16th c.3
17th c.9
18th c.5
19th c.2
undated4
What’s protected
Most of Caen’s monuments are houses and homes
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes56
Religious buildings21
Public & civic5
Military & fortified2
Tombs & cemeteries2
Shops & trade1
Houses & homes: 56 of 90 monuments (62%). 21 are religious buildings, 15 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 3 have no domain on the list.
How old
How old Caen’s monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.0
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.24
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution37
19th century 1801–19009
20th century and later since 19019
24 of 79 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Ancienne abbaye aux Hommes (11th–18th c.). 11 monuments have no date on the list.
When protected
18 of Caen’s monuments were protected in 1927
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1927 · 18
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: Ancienne abbaye aux Dames, actuellement siège du conseil régional de Basse-Normandie, Ancienne abbaye aux Hommes and Église Saint-Jean. That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 18 were protected in 1927 alone. 3 have been added since 2011.
Age of homes
4.2% of homes in Caen were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
4.2%
Before 1919
5.8%
1919–45
31%
1946–70
30%
1971–90
14%
1991–2005
14%
2006 on
CaenMedian compared French town
4.2% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished between 1946 and 1970 than in any other period (31%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
138 people born in Caen before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Jean Soreth
Pierre Patrix
Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie
Jean Regnault de Segrais
Pierre-Daniel Huet
Constantin de Renneville
Paul-Jacques Malouin
Anne-Louise Élie de Beaumont
J. Hector St John de Crèvecoeur
Louis Lepecq de la Clôture
Pierre-Simon Girard
Alexandre-Étienne Choron
Sophie de Renneville
Victor Gabriel Levasseur
Hippolyte-Victor Collet-Descotils
Daniel François Esprit Auber
Jacques-Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps
Étienne Mélingue
Jules Lair
Charles Longuet
13501500165018001950
JS
Jean Soreth1394–1471 · French monk and catholic priest
PP
Pierre Patrix1583–1671 · French writer
JL
Jacques Leneuf de La Poterie1604–1687 · politician
JR
Jean Regnault de Segrais1624–1701 · French poet and novelist
PD
Pierre-Daniel Huet1630–1721 · French churchman and scholar
CR
Constantin de Renneville1677–1723 · French writer
PJ
Paul-Jacques Malouin1701–1778 · French physician and chemist
AL
Anne-Louise Élie de Beaumont1729–1783 · French writer
Everyone born in Caen Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Caen has the 9th most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 82,900 to 142,300 residents, by historic monuments.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Caen
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caen | 109,400 | 90 | 29 | Yes |
| Hérouville-Saint-Clair | 23,470 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Louvigny | 2,612 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Fleury-sur-Orne | 5,941 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Bretteville-sur-Odon | 4,494 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Cormelles-le-Royal | 5,377 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Mondeville | 10,331 | 1 | 1 | — |
In brief
Caen in brief
The record in Caen starts with Ancienne abbaye aux Hommes, which dates from the 11th century. In all there are 90 historic monuments, 29 of them classé, including Ancien hôtel des Quatrans. Per resident, it has more historic monuments than 82% of compared French towns. Only 8 of the 41 towns nearest its size have more historic monuments.
Part of it has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2021. Most entries on the list, 62%, are houses and homes. 2 of its monuments, Réservoir ou château d'eau de la Guérinière among them, carry the Architecture contemporaine remarquable label.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Caen
How many historic monuments are there in Caen?
The Culture ministry lists 90 historic monuments in Caen: 29 classé and 61 inscrit.
Which monuments in Caen are classé?
29, among them Ancienne abbaye aux Hommes, Ancienne église Saint-Nicolas, Chapelle Sainte-Paix, Château, actuellement musées de Caen, Ancienne abbaye aux Dames, actuellement siège du conseil régional de Basse-Normandie and Église du Vieux-Saint-Sauveur ou église Saint-Sauveur-du-Marché (ancienne halle au beurre).
How old are the monuments of Caen?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from the 11th century.
Is Caen a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Caen has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2021.
When were monuments in Caen first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2021.
How old are the homes in Caen?
4.2% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.