A Norman town and castle site traditionally associated with William the Conqueror's birth.
Falaise in Normandy was a major ducal castle site and the traditional birthplace of William the Conqueror in 1027 or 1028. William was born there as the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy.
The castle controlled a strategically important position in central Normandy and remained significant throughout the Norman and Angevin period.
Falaise Castle remained an important Norman stronghold through the twelfth century. Philip II of France besieged and captured it in 1204 during his systematic conquest of Normandy from King John, ending English Plantagenet control of the duchy.
The castle's association with William the Conqueror made it a symbol of the Norman legacy that shaped English kingship.