Year of the Normans

 A thousand years ago, in Normandy, an illegitimate child was born who would reshape the destiny of Europe: William the Conqueror. His story is still etched into the French landscape fortresses rising through the mist, Romanesque abbeys glowing under soft light, and medieval villages so well preserved that you can literally walk in his footsteps.      A century ago, another figure forever linked to Normandy left his mark: Claude Monet, whose passing in 1926 in Giverny closed a chapter in the history of Impressionism. In 2026, as Normandy commemorates 100 years of Monet’s legacy with major exhibitions, tours, concerts, talks, and gastronomic events.