Abbaye aux Hommes

Caen was the second city in the 11th-century duchy of Normandy, particularly favoured by William the Conquerer. Its castle and two Benedictine abbeys - Saint-Etienne and La Trinité - reflected the ducal power. The abbey church of Saint-Etienne or l'Abbaye aux Hommes was begun around 1060 and completed in the late 12th or early 13th century.

General view of the nave and aisle (ca. 1067-1085)

The increasing linearization of the nave is enhanced by the newly introduced rib vaulting from the late 11th century.

General view of the nave

The ambulatory

The ambulatory