Abbey of Saint Etienne

The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, otherwise called Abbaye aux Hommes by stand out from the Abbaye aux Dames, is a previous Benedictine cloister in the French city of Caen, Normandy, committed to Saint Stephen. It was established in 1063 by William the Conqueror and is a standout amongst the most essential Romanesque structures in Normandy. The monastery was to be worked in Caen stone, and development started in 1066. For some decades amid the 11th century, there was a commonly productive challenge between Saint-Etienne and its sister building Sainte-Trinite.

An imperative element added to the two houses of worship in around 1120 was the ribbed vault, utilized without precedent for France. The two monastery houses of worship are viewed as precursors of the Gothic. The first Romanesque apse was supplanted in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying braces. Nine towers and towers were included the 13th century. The inside vaulting demonstrates a comparable movement, starting with early sexpartite vaulting utilizing round ribs in the nave and advancing to quadripartite vaults utilizing pointed ribs in the haven.