According to legend, in 1121, a bourgeois from Caen named Ayulphe du Marché (Latinized as Ayulfus de Foro) and his wife Asseline,[2] who were pious and practiced charity, had a vision of the Virgin Mary ordering them to build a chapel in that place.

They acquired seven acres of the plot named "Saxons' wells" and erected a priory, which was headed by Canon Gilbert from Picardy.

[3] In 1144, the priory was attached to La Lucerne Abbey, which brought it into the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians or Norbertines.

Abbot Robert is known to have received the donation of a stone quarry at Bretteville-sur-Odon, an important indication of a construction campaign in the 12th century.

On June 5, 1450, the abbey was occupied during the siege of Caen by Charles VII of France, who only left it after the surrender of the English garrison on July 5.

The abbey only adhered to the Congregation of Lorraine only after obtaining guarantees on regionalisation, as Lorriane was not a part of the Kingdom of France.

[4] In 1686 the ruined vaults of the abbey were replaced by frames of wooden ogives, the gallery running along the cloister was restored in 1689 and two chapels were built against the northern wall of the church.

With the encouragement of Protestant pastor, M. Fontbonne du Vernet, Russell approached the Prefect of the Department to request a church to assemble in at Caen.

Arcisse de Caumont witnessed further destruction of the site due to the removal of stone for new constructions, including the agricultural building built by the new owners.

[7] In June 1944, 20 Canadian soldiers were massacred in a garden at the abbey by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend over the course of several days and weeks.

During the course of the Normandy Campaign an estimated "156 Canadian prisoners of war are believed to have been executed by the 12th SS Panzer Division (the Hitler Youth) in the days and weeks following the D-Day landings.