Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen

About this place

The Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, better known as the Abbaye aux Dames, is a former Benedictine nunnery in Caen, Normandy. It was the home of the now the Regional Council of Lower Normandy and is now home to the Regional Council of Normandy. The complex includes the Church of Sainte-Trinité. The abbey was founded as a Benedictine nunnery in the late 11th century by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda of Flanders as the Abbaye aux Dames, as was the Abbaye aux Hommes, more formally the Abbey of Saint-Étienne. The works began in 1062, starting from the rear, and were completed in 1130. Matilda, who died in 1083, was buried in the choir under a slab of black marble. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.