Falaise

Falaise, town in northwestern France, in the department of Calvados, 34 km (21 mi) southeast of Caen. It was the capital of the duchy of Hiémois in the 10th century. William the Conqueror is believed to have been born in Falaise’s old castle in 1027. The French took the town in 1204 but lost it to the English in 1418, during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453); it was retaken by Charles VII in 1450.

During World War II (1939-1945), Falaise was almost completely demolished by heavy fighting, and its industry, including the hosiery factories, was entirely destroyed. Among the historic buildings that suffered damage were the castle, the Church of Saint Gervais, and Trinity Church. Only partly rebuilt since the war, Falaise is a small market and fair town. Population (1999) 8,434.