Though there is no documentation to support it, the accepted theory is that Caen was first and foremost a Gaulish military encampment. The troubled times of the Middle Ages left few vestiges of the Saint-Martin church.

The town of Caen was, in the 11th century, the second most important city for the dutchy of Normandy - this led to the construction of ramparts, a château and two abbeys under duke William the Conqueror. The city was taken into the fold of the French kingdom in the 14th century which led to a period of prosperity. Yet opposition to the British during the Hundred Years' War brought about retaliation the 16th century; the city suffered terrible damages.

Caen was an important metropolis in the early 20th century and was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War; in particular, the great fire of 1944 lasted 11 days and caused extensive damages.