Falaise

William I

Falaise, town, Calvados département, Normandy région, northwestern France. It lies on the Ante River, about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Caen. The town was the birthplace of William the Conqueror, first of the Norman kings of England. The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the dukes of Normandy and is the oldest fortress in Normandy. The lofty Talbot Tower was added by the English in the 15th century. The town is famous for a battle in the area (the “Falaise pocket”) during the Allied reconquest of France in 1944 in which 50,000 German troops were encircled and taken prisoner. While still under German occupation, two-thirds of Falaise was destroyed by Allied bombing, but it has since been restored. Industries in the town include the manufacture of household appliances and foodstuffs. Pop. (1999) 8,434; (2014 est.) 8,294.