Caen - Place St Pierre

The central feature Caen is the Place St-Pierre, with a monument to Joan of Arc (1964). Here too is the church of St-Pierre (13th-14th C), with a 75 m/245ft high tower (1308), whose boldly soaring spire was destroyed in 1944 and subsequently rebuilt. The interior is notable for a magnificent Renaissance apse, with rich decoration and unusual stalactitic vaulting. Opposite St- Pierre, to the west, is the Hôtel d'Escoville, a Renaissance mansion of 1538 (restored) with a beautiful courtyard.