Around Guillaume and Mathilde

The Medieval Saga of Creully

Creully Castle offers an original exhibition created from the work "Around William and Matilda" by Antoine Lefranc and Mathilde Loisel, to be published in autumn 2026. The exhibition highlights their legacy as well as the Anglo-Norman cultural, political, and architectural influences, of which the site of Creully still bears traces.

Often focused on the Battle of Hastings and the ascension to the throne of England, the narrative around William leaves in the shadows his childhood and the years following the conquest. However, these periods reveal essential issues: the affirmation of power in Normandy against the barons, the consolidation of ducal authority, and the management of challenges and betrayals after 1066.

The exhibition is organized around a selection of texts juxtaposed with the original and poetic works of Mathilde Loisel. A focus is dedicated to four major figures in local medieval history: Hamon the Toothless, the first baron of Creully and opponent of William the Conqueror, Robert Fitz Hamon, Empress Matilda, and Robert of Caen.

The whole presents a dialogue between historical narrative, artistic creation, and heritage, closely linked to the history of the fortress of Creully and its connection to the trajectories of William, Matilda, and their descendants.

Practical Information:

All audiences

Admission fee: Full price: 6 euros | Reduced rate: 4 euros | Free for under 18s.

Partnerships: Network of libraries of Caen la mer, Media Library of Bricquebec-en-Cotentin