Are you planning a trip to Bayeux soon? Roman then medieval city… British military base during the D-Day landings in 1944… This Norman town is also famous for an exceptional work of embroidery dating back to the 11th century.
The Bayeux Tapestry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The story of the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, is on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in the heart of the city.
Initially designed to decorate the nave of the cathedral, discovering this prodigious work of embroidery on linen canvas is really a must if you are visiting Bayeux!
In this article, find all our tips in pictures to visit the museum that houses this wonder.
This review is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the area anonymously, making our own choices, and paying all our bills in full.
Why visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum?
Is the Bayeux Tapestry Museum worth a visit?
We knew that a trip to Bayeux, famous for its ceramics and embroidery expertise, would include a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum! In fact, we liked it so much that we added it to our 12 ideas for things to do in Bayeux.
Owned by the French state in the same way as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Bayeux Tapestry is a veritable monument to the textile arts. According to the French Ministry of Culture, it is the most important of the Romanesque period.
Why is the Bayeux Tapestry famous?
Listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bayeux Tapestry bears vital historical testimony to the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy. Embroidered on linen canvas in the 11th century, the tapestry was first exhibited in 1835 in the library of Bayeux’s Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Today, you can admire this exceptional embroidery of woolen threads on linen canvas in the former Major Seminary of Bayeux (former Catholic higher education institution), now the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
Measuring 68m long and 70cm wide, the Bayeux Tapestry is a narrative in 58 scenes modelled on a stained-glass window. The design of this embroidery was historically commissioned by Bishop Odon de Conteville to adorn the nave of Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral.
Popular belief holds that Queen Mathilde, wife of William the Conqueror, was responsible for this embroidery. However, this hypothesis has been called into question by archaeological findings, and the hands of the artist(s) remain unknown to this day.
Practical advice: Bayeux Tapestry Museum, France
Where is the Bayeux Tapestry Museum?
The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is located at 13B, rue de Nesmond in Bayeux (14400), Normandy. The easiest way to get to Bayeux is by car, but the town also has a train station with regular daily services.
See available timetables and book your train and coach tickets now.
- Driving time from Le Havre: 1h30min.
- Driving time from Deauville: 1h05min.
- Driving time from Caen: 30min.
- Time from Cabourg: 45min.
- Driving time from Mont-Saint-Michel: 1h35min.
- Driving time from Ouistreham: 35min.
How to get there
To get to the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux once you’ve arrived in the town, we recommend either walking or taking the Petit Train Touristique. The museum is right in the heart of the historic town center. The streets are narrow, with few places to park your car.
And the district is also very pleasant to visit on foot to immerse yourself in the medieval architecture of the city!
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Parking
As mentioned above, parking is not easy in the town center. If you drive a little further down the rue de Nesmond, you’ll find a few paid parking spaces in front of the Centre hospitalier de Bayeux. Please note that the streets adjacent to the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux do not allow parking, as you can see below.
Schedules and rates
The Bayeux Tapestry Museum is open:
- From March to October: 9am to 6:30pm (7pm from May to August).
- From November to February: 09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00.
The museum is closed on the afternoon of December 24 and 31, on December 25, and from January 1 to 31 inclusive.
Rates:
- Full price: 12€.
- Reduced rate: 7,50€ (large families, job seekers).
- School/student rate: 5€.
- Free for children under 10 years old.
The audioguide is offered free of charge in 16 different languages.
Last admission to the Musée de la Tapisserie is 45 minutes before the museum closes. Tickets can only be purchased on site.
You can also book a one-day guided tour here that includes several visits to historical sites (Falaise castle, Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, medieval castle of Crevecoeur) in Normandy before ending the day with the Bayeux Tapestry.
Otherwise, find more information on the Three Museums Pass tickets and guided tours directly on the official website of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
Best time to visit
For a more comfortable visit, we advise you to go in the morning or early afternoon, when the crowds are a little lighter. You’ll also have more time to enjoy the museum’s three levels without being pressed for time.
Like most places in Normandy, Bayeux’s peak season is between July and August. In fact, the municipality counts over 500,000 tourists every year. So, whatever the period, you’ll always come across groups of visitors, even in the “low season”. However, if you prefer to avoid the crowds, the tourist season is less busy from April to June and from September to October.
Visit duration and practical information
We recommend you allow 1h30 to 2h, depending on how long you spend on each of the museum’s floors. Especially if you opt for the audioguide (free and very informative!) when visiting the original Tapestry on level 1. Also, photographing the original tapestry exhibited on this level of the museum is not permitted, as its reproduction in any form is highly restricted.
Please note that pets are not allowed inside the museum.
Finally, the place is accessible and adapted to people with reduced mobility.
Tips for visiting
There is no set direction. A visit to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is divided into 3 parts:
- the discovery of the original Tapestry on the 1st level,
- the exhibition room where art objects, statues and works tell the secrets of the realization of this Tapestry but also of the medieval historical context,
- and the 3rd level where the projection room is located.
We advise you to start with the original Bayeux Tapestry, on the first level with the audioguide. This will enable you to better understand the explanations and links with the works of art on display on the other two levels. A souvenir store is located just outside the museum.
The Bayeux Tapestry Museum with children
With children in strollers or baby carriers, you’ll be able to enjoy the museum with ease! It’s an instructive place that will delight young and old alike, with its various objets d’art, statues, manuscripts and historical explanations.
The detail that makes all the difference for your children? The free audioguide also features commentaries adapted for “juniors” in French and English!
If you are going there in a stroller with young children, you can use the PMR access on rue de Nesmond indicated on the sign and the elevators within the museum.
WHERE TO STAY IN Bayeux
Option 1: Central and close to downtown
Within 5 to 10 minutes’ walk of the historic center, you’ll find beautiful mansions transformed into welcoming hotels and B&Bs. We recommend..:
- Hotel Domaine de Bayeux installed in an 18th century mansion – see prices, photos and availability.
- Hôtel le Lion d’Or in a former 18th-century post office building – see prices, photos, availability.
Option 2: in the countryside
The Normandy countryside is very green and inspiring. At the bend in the forest or in the fields, pretty villages with beautiful buildings transport you to another world, or even another era.
- Hotel Domaine de la Rançonnière, only 20 minutes from Bayeux – see prices, photos and availability.
Option 3: By the sea
The seaside is just 15 minutes drive from Bayeux. Breathe the sea air while enjoying easy access to Bayeux and the D-Day beaches.
- Hotel Villas d’Arromanches – see prices, photos and availability.
Nearby restaurants
Bayeux is also renowned for its gastronomic heritage. Michelin-starred restaurants, brasseries, tearooms… There really is something for every taste and style! Here’s a small selection:
- Restaurant l’Acte 2 – traditional and authentic Norman cuisine.
- Restaurant L’Alchimie – fusion of local and foreign flavors.
- Restaurant L’Alcôve – gastronomic meal in a friendly atmosphere.
- Restaurant Le Moulin de la Galette – fresh and local products in an establishment in the heart of historic Bayeux.
- Restaurant La Rapière – refined seasonal cuisine in a 16th century setting.
- Les volets roses canteen tea room – for a gourmet and generous snack.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
- Get away from it all with Region Lovers’ beautiful destinations!
- Once a month
- Advertising-free
The Bayeux Tapestry, an exceptional work of art
Masterpiece of Romanesque art
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since August 2007, the Bayeux Tapestry, created in the Middle Ages during the Romanesque period, comprises 58 scenes including:
- 25 scenes take place in France,
- 33 scenes in England.
- Among them, 10 scenes are dedicated to the Battle of Hastings.
Nine pieces of linen canvas are joined together over a length of 68.58 meters and a width of 70 cm, 50 cm of which is devoted to embroidery. With effects of perspective and depth, the wool threads that make up the embroidery represent the 626 characters, 37 buildings including Mont-Saint-Michel, 41 ships and 202 horses and mules in this remarkable 11th-century work. Finally, the strip of canvas from which the Tapestry hangs contains 58 numbers to identify each episode in this legendary tale.
The mystery of the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry
What is this monument to Norman lacemaking savoir-faire all about? The Bayeux Tapestry celebrates the victory of William, Duke of Normandy, over the English at Hastings on October 14, 1066. The creation of the Bayeux Tapestry, closely linked to the town whose name it bears, raises many questions. Not only who commissioned it, but also where it was made. In fact, it was probably made in the south of England, probably in Canterbury, around 1070, just a few years after William the Conqueror’s victory.
According to many historians, it was commissioned by Odon de Conteville, Bishop of Bayeux and a member of William the Conqueror’s family. He would have commissioned this embroidery to adorn the nave of the new Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral, consecrated in July 1077. So it wasn’t Queen Matilda, wife of the Duke of Normandy, and her ladies-in-waiting who designed it.
Most researchers agree on the English origin of the work, but opinions differ as to where it was made. For some, the Bayeux Tapestry was embroidered at St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, while others believe it was made in Winchester or Wilton, England.
Take German historian Wolfgang Grape, who defends the Norman hypothesis. According to him, the Tapestry was made in Bayeux itself, in Normandy. Conversely, a recent hypothesis has been put forward by American historian George Beech. According to Beech, several clues suggest that the Bayeux Tapestry was designed at Saint-Florent Abbey in Saumur, France. There’s still plenty of debate surrounding this thousand-year-old creation!
The secrets of its realization in the eleventh century
As we all know, embroidery is a veritable tradition in Normandy. In addition to housing the Conservatoire de la Dentelle, the town of Bayeux has also dedicated an entire section of the Musée d’art et d’histoire Baron Gérard to the art of lacemaking. It too is a must-see in Bayeux.
From wool to linen to natural pigments, the Bayeux Tapestry required a number of different stages and natural materials to achieve this feat. Ready to learn more about the art of embroidery?
First, the linen canvas on which the tapestry scenes are embroidered. We noticed that the shade of this fabric, made from linen fibers, is naturally gray. After long exposure to light, it can turn ecru, then off-white when white.
Wool, at the heart of drapery in the Middle Ages
Next came woollen yarns, an essential part of textile manufacture in the Middle Ages. In the 11th century, embroidery wool was spun by hand. Note that the thickness of threads can vary depending on whether they are used for “stem stitch” or “throw stitch”. Rest assured, we didn’t become embroidery pros after a few days spent in Bayeux, but almost!
Did you know that embroidery skills involve stitching several different types of stitches, each with its own specific name? First, stem stitch, also known as needlepoint or cast-on stitch. It’s used to create lines, such as flower stems. Secondly, throw stitch is the basic stitch. It allows you to go horizontally, vertically or obliquely across the canvas.
Obtaining the color shades, a meticulous work
Three plants were used as natural colorants to illuminate this textile work in a range of colors. And how? Find out more in the museum’s exhibition room. All the same, we really wanted to share with you what we discovered there… Because we were truly amazed by these processes, which were already highly technical at the time!
Successive soaking of the wool, interspersed with air-drying, will produce the desired density of hue. Did you know that these three plant dyes can generate a dozen different colors? Extraordinary! Dosage is the key.
Zoom on the colors of the original tapestry
More precisely, woad, madder and gaude are the plants used to dye the wool of the Bayeux Tapestry.
- With madder, a ruby plant with flowers, we obtain pinkish or orangey red but also purplish brown.
- With the gaude, variety of herbaceous plant, we obtain mustard yellow.
- With woad, a cruciferous and herbaceous plant variety, we obtain black blue, dark blue, medium blue, medium green or light green.
The mixture of vegetable dyes gives other shades, including pastel mixed with gaude which together generate beige or dark green depending on the number of soakings and drying.
In this respect, the work’s original colors have changed little over time, unlike those used for restorations of certain parts of the Bayeux Tapestry. Those restored in the 19th century have become more discordant, as in the final scenes of the tapestry, when William, Duke of Normandy, finally wins the battle against Harold’s troops.
A museum housed in the former Major Seminary of Bayeux
The Bayeux Tapestry was first exhibited as an ornament in the nave of Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral in the 11th century. After the Bayeux civil war in the Middle Ages, which pitted the heirs of William, Duke of Normandy, against each other, the embroidery was stored in the cathedral’s museum-library.
Today, you can admire it in the former Grand Séminaire de Bayeux, now called the “Centre Guillaume Le Conquérant”. This 17th-century building is a former Catholic teaching establishment attached to a 13th-century chapel. It is the oldest part of the building, which came from the former priory of the canons of Saint-Augustin.
This place will become a military barracks during the revolutionary period until 1816, then the Bayeux Tapestry Museum nearly 167 years later.
During the Second World War, under occupation in 1941, the German Works of Art Protection Service decided to move the Bayeux Tapestry out of the town. The Abbey of Saint-Martin de Mondaye in the Calvados region of France housed the tapestry temporarily, in particular to protect it from the risk of bombing.
In the room on the first level, the Bayeux Tapestry, an exceptional work of art dating back thousands of years, is kept away from the light to avoid altering the fabric and the colors of the embroidery.
An audio tour you won’t soon forget!
We also recommend that you take the free audioguide just before entering the embroidery room. It’s even available in 16 languages, with a “junior” version for younger visitors in French and English!
Visitors are not allowed to photograph the original tapestry. Reproduction in any form is strictly regulated.
DISCOVER Bayeux
- Best things to do in Bayeux
- Where to sleep in Bayeux: our best hotels
- Rent a car in Bayeux
- Where to eat in Bayeux: our best restaurants
- Visit the Bayeux Tapestry Museum
- Visit the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History
- Visit the Battle of Normandy Museum
- Discover the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Bayeux
- Discover the British Military Cemetery
The conquest of England in the 11th century on linen
A military epic told with wool yarn
As mentioned above, the Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the Duke of Normandy’s conquest of England. The story begins in 1064, when England’s King Edward, known as the Confessor, asks his brother-in-law, Harold, to travel across the English Channel. The purpose of the trip was to offer the throne of England to William, Duke of Normandy. Thanks to the digital tool set up in 2016, on the second level of the museum, you can browse each scene of the tapestry on screen to get a better grasp of the details!
You’ll notice that the Bayeux Tapestry features Harold’s ship reaching the continent. After many twists and turns, Harold succeeds in conveying a message from the King of England to the Duke of Normandy. Before setting sail back to England to join Edward, Harold swears allegiance to William the Conqueror on the relics of Bayeux Cathedral. However, upon his return across the Channel and the death of King Edward, Harold finally betrayed his oath.
The Bayeux Tapestry: between war and spirituality
In January 1066, England crowned Harold in place of William, Duke of Normandy. Aware of this situation, William decided to reclaim his throne. So, on the night of September 28 of the same year, he crossed the sea, accompanied by his soldiers on several ships. In mid-October 1066, the Battle of Hastings began between the armies of William and Harold.
Without a doubt, it is this pivotal moment in the history of the conquest of England that marks a real turning point. With Harold shot through the eyes with an arrow, some historians define this scene as having a moral purpose, illustrating the punishment for high treason. Finally, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England at the end of 1066 in Westminster Abbey.
William the Conqueror, a key historical figure in the Bayeux Tapestry
His army tested after this conquest
William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and now King of England, consolidated his power after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Putting an end to the revolts and pillaging became a necessity. His army, though victorious, was considerably reduced from 7,000 to around 5,000 men.
His hard-pressed soldiers looted and burned the various regions they visited in England, particularly in the south-east. Some regions would remain permanently marked by their passage. The Bayeux Tapestry shows the violence of the looting, as in scene 47, where a woman with her child leaves her house after the Normans set it on fire.
Constitution of a new ruling class
How to put an end to these violent practices and ensure peace? King William decided to give the leaders of his army a livelihood, and thus to allocate land to them. So began the seizure of part of the land holdings of Anglo-Saxon aristocrats for distribution to his vassals. As a result, a number of Norman and French barons received considerable endowments of land, enabling them to administer and enforce order in England under the reign of William I. Indeed, the Domesday Book, a major survey of the property owned by the king and his vassals, was conceived 20 years after the battle of Hastings. We were overwhelmed by the quality of this ancient manuscript, preserved for almost 1,000 years, which you can admire on site!
They were both locals and military chiefs, who contributed greatly to the supervision of the forcibly subjugated population after William’s coronation. The Norman conquest encouraged the introduction from scratch of a feudal system in England, just as it had existed on the continent.
The Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux exhibits scale models of villages, illustrating life in the Middle Ages down to the last detail. But above all, you’ll understand how important it was for William I, known as The Conqueror, King of England and Duke of Normandy, to establish his power and Norman domination over these territories. Nevertheless, from 1068 onwards, revolts multiplied in various parts of England. It was largely through the construction of castles that the king and his vassals were able to better control the cities of England.
A representation of medieval life
On the art of building fortifications
Beyond its lacemaking skills and artistic prowess, the Bayeux Tapestry also has irreplaceable documentary value. In fact, it will tell you a great deal about life in the 11th century.
First of all, we really enjoyed learning so much about the construction of fortified castles, one of the famous skills of the Normans. Did you know that, even after landing on the English coast in 1066, Norman troops built a fortification of this kind at Hastings shortly before the battle with Harold’s army?
A whole section of the tour explains the different types of fortifications and how the Normans turned them to their advantage. After his coronation, William had three urban castles built in London and two in York, effective during major revolts. Fortifications in rural areas, on the other hand, provided a foothold for the leading barons of William’s court.
The stages of construction of a castle
What surprising discoveries about the importance and role of castles! A very didactic tour of the museum gave us a better understanding:
- the usefulness of each part of the castle,
- the different stages of its construction to preserve the safety of its inhabitants.
Most wooden castles were built on an artificial motte or earthwork supported on a rocky plateau, topped by a tower. A central element of the fortified building, the tower serves as a lookout post, as well as a place to entrench oneself outside the castle. Take time to observe the details of the model. Even the steep staircase leading up to the tower via a drawbridge communicating with the bailey has been reproduced!
Military engineering
Almost 20 meters of the tapestry are devoted to the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror’s red carpet to the English throne. A large part of the museum is dedicated to this crucial moment in the conquest of England. You’ll notice that this work on linen canvas also illustrates the weapons and war dress used in the Middle Ages, and more specifically in the 11th century. Nevertheless, reality may have been somewhat distorted to enhance the aesthetic harmony and legibility of the embroidery on canvas.
On the other hand, the work sheds light on little-documented realities. By zooming in on the Bayeux Tapestry using the digital tool available on the second level, we witness, for example, horses rearing up and falling backwards or tumbling forward. Their deaths often entail those of their riders, swept along with them by the motion of the fall.
Archery, decisive on the battlefield
We note that the archers’ place is central. On the Bayeux Tapestry, the bow and arrow appear to be short and strung at chest height. In reality, however, archaeologists explain that during combat, the bow is drawn at jaw height. We wondered whether this narrowing was deliberately intended by the artist to make the figures’ faces more visible.
You’ll see that the objects, documents and reproductions in the museum place great emphasis on this aspect. All the more so since historical research and discoveries demonstrate that archery was an essential component of the Norman army. Similarly, the tapestry depicts only one archer in the Anglo-Saxon camp. While also a component of the English army, archery remains less central than it was for the Normans in reality.
The armory and its accessories
As you continue along the museum’s itinerary, you’ll discover examples of chainmail weapons and protection. Some are even displayed on life-size mannequins! These reproductions will give you a better understanding of all the weapons depicted on the embroidery.
Indeed, if you look closely at the Bayeux Tapestry, you’ll see that it relates the importance of Norman cavalry and military accessories. The embroidery details the heavy saddles and stirrups. But we also learn more about the weapons and clothing used to defend themselves at the time: swords, wooden shields, chain mail, broigne (or tunic), Danish axe, metal helmet… Have you noticed that other weapons stand out in the embroidery? Like the spears available to both armies. With a wooden shaft about 2m long, the spears are topped by an arrow or a triangular iron blade attached to the end.
As you stroll through the different levels of the museum, many ancient objects, educational information, reproductions, will help you understand the history and the inestimable value of this embroidery.
The Bayeux Tapestry is a major source for naval archaeology, for example. Consider that on the original tapestry, the ships are all Scandinavian: wooden vessels propelled by sail. This embroidery on linen shows that these ships are steered by a large rudder oar, which is used to start the boat off the coast. Several oars appear in the first scenes of the tapestry, can you see them?
How did these ships come into being? The Bayeux Tapestry also answers this question by providing information on the techniques and tools used in shipbuilding at the time. In an extraordinary display of precision and pedagogy, the embroidery depicts lumberjacks felling and pruning trees to provide carpenters with sufficient wood.
At the shipyard, you’ll notice that the master carpenter has a key role to play: he’s responsible for shaping the protruding parts of the boat’s bow, known as “bows”. A true Viking heritage, this boat made it possible to navigate in shallow waters. This is probably what helped William the Conqueror’s fleet to reach the English coast more easily. A whole section of the museum is dedicated to naval history!
In the photograph below, you’ll find the Thorvald on display on the second level, the world’s only replica of a “Kirkebat” housed in the Oslo Museum in Norway. Still in use in the 19th century, it was also used to transport villagers across the fjords to church. But what does Thorvald mean? It’s the first name of the son of Erik the Red, the famous 10th-century Viking adventurer who set out from Iceland to discover Greenland.
Feudal society and the functioning of powers
You’ll find that the Bayeux Tapestry also provides more information on the Norman feudal system, which William the Conqueror installed from scratch once he was crowned King of England. Take a close look at the tapestry’s various scenes, where you’ll see the presence of the Church. For example, when King Edward’s body is buried in St. Peter’s Church, or the numerous crosses on the embroidery’s outer bands.
Through a few scenes that also illustrate with great authenticity the realities of medieval life, you will learn more about the daily life of the inhabitants of the time:
- the work of the peasants, we can see a plow pulled by a mule or a harrow pulled by a horse,
- the work of the land by the peasants to highlight their daily life and their place in the feudal society,
- clothing to mark the belonging to a social class,
- offensive and defensive armament elements,
- the constructions of the time and the living environment.
You will be immersed in the Middle Ages thanks to the different models and the diorama in this museum!
Embroidery source of knowledge or propaganda?
The course of the battle of Hastings
Take a look at the many useful explanatory panels in the museum’s Guillamume room, and you’ll see that a number of hypotheses are put forward, none of them ignored. From who commissioned the tapestry, where it was made and by whom, to how the battles unfolded. After reading all these explanations, it became clear to us that the tapestry was an illustration of the Norman version of events, and therefore a work of Norman propaganda justifying the conquest of England in 1066. Of course, a number of scholars have raised the possibility that it could also be a work of art defending the English side.
The decisive battle that would lead William the Conqueror’s army to victory actually took place some ten km north of the town of Hastings. In this exhibition hall, we learned a great deal about the different military tactics of the two armies. On one side, the Norman army with its archers in the front line protected by infantrymen and heavy cavalry in the rear. On the other, the English army formed a wall of shields four to six rows thick to block the position.
Throughout the depiction of this battle in several scenes, educational panels help you to distinguish specific elements from fragments of the tapestry. For example, focus your gaze on the lower border of the Bayeux Tapestry, particularly towards the last scenes, and you’ll realize that it is used to represent the dead on the battlefield.
The representation of animals on the original tapestry
Other objects on display in the room on the second level will shed light on the characters depicted, and in particular the animals. If you look closely at the central band of the Bayeux Tapestry, you’ll see that it is framed by borders, each about 7cm wide. These borders feature real or imaginary animals. You can distinguish both:
- birds, lions, dogs, deer,
- but also hybrid creatures like griffins and centaurs.
You’ll also see Aesop’s ancient fable, The Raven and The Fox. As the tour progresses, you’ll find explanations of the importance of animals in the Middle Ages and their representations.
So this nearly 1,000-year-old embroidery is also a means of better understanding the place of certain animals, such as horses in the cavalry. Did you know that the original tapestry provides a very precise understanding of horse harnessing? With a bridle comprising the browband, headpiece, upright, noseband and metal bit inserted in the mouth. Archaeological finds have confirmed the accuracy of this representation.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Normandy
Inspiration destinations
- Deciding where to go in Normandy – the best destinations
- Our weekend ideas: best-of, romantic, unusual, seaside, luxury, family
- 16 seaside hotels in Normandy
- The most beautiful charming hotels in Normandy
Best of
Practice
- Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
- See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport, Orly airport, Beauvais airport, Caen, Rouen, Bayeux…
Frequently asked questions
What exhibitions at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum?
In addition to the permanent exhibits, the Musée de la Tapisserie also offers temporary exhibitions to complete the tour. When we were there, for example, we had the chance to admire the giant fresco painted by artist David Hockney entitled A Year in Normandy.
What is the Bayeux stitch in embroidery?
This embroidery stitch is part of Norman and English heritage: it was used to embroider the famous Bayeux Tapestry, known as Queen Matilda’s Tapestry, in the 11th century.
In reality, it was not Queen Matilda who created this work on linen, as the artists’ hands remain unknown to this day.
This 70-meter-long embroidery, made with wool threads in six dominant colors, highlights the expertise of the city and region of Bayeux.
Bayeux stitch is made up of:
- points thrown to fill the areas,
- bars to hold the dots thrown at the intersections, spaced 3 to 4mm apart,
- pins to fix the bars, repeated every 3 to 5mm.
What is Bayeux known for?
First a Roman town, then a medieval one, Bayeux boasts a rich historical, artistic, cultural and gastronomic heritage! Museums, a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, a botanical garden, restaurants, delicatessens and artisan workshops… You’ll find many points of tourist interest. Bayeux was also spared the bombings and conflicts of the Second World War, and served as a military base for British soldiers. Bayeux is home to France’s largest British military cemetery.
