Conférence – L’abbaye aux Dames de Caen, des premières gravures aux photographies de l’Inventaire général du patrimoine culturel : histoire d’un regard 

Founded by Matilda of Flanders, the Benedictine monastery was entrusted to abbesses who invested heavily in the embellishment of their buildings until the French Revolution. A major site and part of the city?s urban identity, the abbey has been converted several times since the 19th century (barracks, beggar?s depot, hôtel-Dieu, hospice, administrative establishment), and has given rise to numerous representations, documenting both the evolution of its architecture and gardens, and the way in which this exceptional monumental ensemble has been viewed since 1575, when the oldest known image was taken.

Hélène Billat has been a researcher with the Inventaire général du patrimoine culturel, attached to the Service de l?Inventaire de la Région Normandie, since 2013. She studied the Abbey aux Dames in Caen as part of a topographical inventory.

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