Domfront
Domfront was a fortified border city located on the border of Normandy and Maine. It was built on a rocky spur overlooking the river Varenne. Until it was demolished in 1608, it had one of the the most powerful castle keeps in France, protecting the road linking Caen, the capital city of Normandy, to Maine and Anjou.
The first - wooden - castle in Domfront was built early in the 11th century. William the conqueror's son, Henry Beauclerc built a stone castle around 1100. When he became king of England in 1100, Domfront remained part of his domain. Since then, it has been occupied by Norman, English and French garrisons. It was finally incorporated into France in 1450.
The only remains of Henry Beauclerc's castle are two walls of the donjon, two round towers, and the ruins of the St. Symphorian's chapel, in which Eleanor of Aquitaine's daughter was christened. Thirteen of the original 24 towers of the wall remain.
The strategic importance of Domfront's position was brought to the fore again in 1944, when it was bombed by the Americans in an attempt to slow down German reinforcements from the south. More than 400 hundred buildings were damaged and several thousand civilians killed and injured in the raid. Many of the buildings have been restored, although obvious gaps remain.
Domfront also boasts one of the first concrete and steel churches built, right in the heart of the town, in the 1920s. At present it is undergoing restoration - the modern materials proving to be far less robust than those used a thousand years ago.
