Falaise, Calvados

Falaise (French pronunciation: [falɛz] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Falaise
Commune
The chateau and town centre of Falaise
Coat of arms
Location of Falaise
Falaise Falaise
Coordinates: 48°53′50″N 00°11′51″W / 48.89722°N 0.19750°W
Country	France
Region	Normandy
Department	Calvados
Arrondissement	Caen
Canton	Falaise
Intercommunality	Pays de Falaise
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Hervé Maunoury[1]
Area 1	11.84 km2 (4.57 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	7,782
• Density	660/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	14258 /14700
Elevation	89–188 m (292–617 ft) (avg. 132 m or 433 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Flowing through Falaise are The River Ante and The River Trainefeuille, both tributaries of the river Dives.^[3][4][5]

Falaise borders the area known as Suisse Normande, on its eastern side.^[6]

The area around Falaise has been inhabited from prehistoric times, but it was only at the end of the prehistoric period and the beginning of the Gallo-Roman era that the area, Falaise in particular, was regularly inhabited. Evidence of settlement from the time has been found at Vaston, an agricultural area just north-east of the modern town.^[8]

Falaise, as it is sited today, probably came into being around the castle.

The town was the birthplace of William the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. He was frequently referred to as William the Bastard, on account of his being born out of wedlock to Herleva from Falaise, reputedly a tanner's daughter.^[9]

The Château de Falaise (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag (French: falaise), was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. Also, the Treaty of Falaise was signed at the castle in December 1174 between the captive William I, King of Scots, and the Plantagenet King of England, Henry II.^[10]

The town was also the place that Rabbi Yom Tov of Falaise, grandchild of Rashi, held his rabbinical court.

On 26 October 1851, a statue of William the Conqueror was inaugurated here (at his place of birth).^[11]

World War II

In modern times, it is known for the battle of the Falaise Pocket during the Allied reconquest of France (called Operation Overlord) in August 1944 in which two German armies were encircled and destroyed by the allied armies. Some 10,000 German troops were killed and 50,000 taken prisoner.^[12]

Two-thirds of Falaise was destroyed by allied bombing before the town was taken by a combined force of Canadian and Polish troops. Falaise was largely restored after the war.^[13]

• Herleva - (died c. 1050) a Norman woman known for having been the mother of William the Conqueror, and also of William's prominent half-brothers Odo of Bayeux and Robert, Count of Mortain was born here.^[15]
• William the Conqueror (c. 1028 – 1087), future king of England, was born in Falaise.^[16]
• Yom Tov of Falaise, an 11th century French rabbi, grandson of Rashi was born here.^[17]
• Samuel ben Solomon of Falaise, 12th- and 13th-century French rabbi also known by his name, Sir Morel was born here.^[17]
• Nicolas Vauquelin des Yveteaux - (1567–1649) a French libertine poet, the son of Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye was born here at the château de La Fresnaye.^[18]
• Antoine de Montchrestien - (c. 1575 – - 1621) a French soldier, dramatist, adventurer and economist was born here.^[19]
• François Bonnemer (1638 - 1689) - a French painter and engraver, was born here.^[20]
• Pierre Henry-Larivière (1761 - 1838) a French politician and député for Calvados to the Convention was born here.^[21]
• Frédéric de Lafresnaye (1783–1861), ornithologist, was born and died here.^[22]
• Louis Félix Étienne, marquis de Turgot - (1796 – 1866) a French diplomat and politician was born here.^[23]
• Louis Alphonse de Brébisson - (1798 – 1888) a French botanist and photographer was born and died here.^[24]
• Moustache - (1799 – 1812) a barbet who is reputed to have played a part in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, was born here.^[25]
• Pauline Roland - (1805 – 1852) a French feminist and socialist was born here.^[26]
• Charles-Philippe de Chennevières-Pointel - (1820 – 1899) a French writer and art historian was born here.^[27]
• Louis Alphonse Gassion - (1881 – 1944) was the father of Édith Piaf also an entertainer, circus performer and theatre actor, who was born here.^[28]
• Lucien Plantefol - (1891-1983) a botanist and member of the French Academy of Sciences who developed a theory of leaf helices to explain phyllotaxis was born here.^[29]
• Jacques Hébert - (1920 – 2018) a French politician was born and later died here.^[30]
• Alain Ferté (b.1955) is a French professional racing driver, who was born here.^[31]
• Michel Ferté (1958 – 2023) was a French professional racing driver who was born here.^[32]
• Rodolphe Thomas (b. 1962) is a French politician and member of the MoDem who was born here.^[33]
• Stéphane Le Bouyonnec (b. 1962) is a Canadian politician who was born here.^[34]
• Cédric Hengbart (b.1980) is a French professional football manager and former player who was born here.^[35]

Falaise has been twinned with Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, since 1974; Bad Neustadt an der Saale in Germany since 1969; Cassino in Italy since 1975; and Alma, Quebec in Canada since 1969.

• Communes of the Calvados department

• Castle William the Conqueror in Falaise, France. (Official website in English)
• Normandieweb on Falaise (in French)
• A Conqueror's change of heart Personal blog with good images of the William the Conqueror statue in Falaise