Are you planning a trip to Bayeux soon? Roman and medieval city… British military base during the D-Day landings in 1944… This Norman city is also known for an exceptional work embroidered in the 11th century. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is of course the Bayeux Tapestry.
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 opinion 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 on our way to Bayeux, famous for its ceramic and embroidery skills, a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum would be a must! In fact, we liked this museum so much that we added it to our 12 ideas of things to do in Bayeux.
The Bayeux Tapestry is the property of the French State, as is the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, and is a true monument to the textile arts. It is the most important of the Romanesque period according to the Ministry of Culture.
Why is the Bayeux Tapestry famous?
Listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bayeux Tapestry is a vital historical testimony to the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy. This work embroidered on linen in the eleventh century was first exhibited in the library museum in 1835 in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Bayeux.
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.
The Bayeux Tapestry is 68 meters long and 70 centimeters wide. It is a narrative in 58 scenes based on the stained glass model. Moreover, the design of this embroidery would have been historically ordered by Bishop Odon de Conteville to decorate the nave of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Bayeux.
The popular belief considers Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, as the origin of this embroidery. However, this hypothesis is called into question by archaeological diagnoses and the hands of the artist or artists 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) in Normandy. The easiest way to get to Bayeux is by car, but the city also has a train station with regular daily service.
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 Bayeux Tapestry Museum once you arrive in the city, we advise you to go on foot or to take the little tourist train. Indeed, the museum is located in the heart of the historic city. 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 downtown. If you drive a little further down rue de Nesmond, you will find a few paid parking spaces in front of the Bayeux Hospital Center. Please note that the streets adjacent to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum 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.
The last entrance to the Tapestry Museum 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
To be more comfortable during your visit, we advise you to go in the morning or early afternoon, the crowds are a little less important. You will also have more time to enjoy the three levels of the museum without being pressed for time.
Like most places in Normandy, the high season in Bayeux is between July and August. Indeed, the municipality counts more than 500,000 tourists each year. So, whatever the period, you will always come across groups of visitors, even in “low season”. However, it should be noted that the tourist influx is less important from April to June and from September to October if you prefer to avoid the crowds.
Visit duration and practical information
We advise you to allow 1h30 to 2h depending on the time you will take on each floor of the museum. Especially if you opt for the audioguide (free and very informative!) when visiting the original Tapestry on the 1st level. Also, photographing the original tapestry exhibited at this level of the museum is not allowed because its reproduction, in all its forms, is very 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 imposed direction of visit. The visit of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum is organized in 3 steps:
- 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 audio guide. This will allow you to better understand the explanations and the links with the art objects exposed on the other two levels. A souvenir store is located at the exit of the museum.
The Bayeux Tapestry Museum with children
With children in strollers or baby carriers, you can easily enjoy the museum! It is an instructive place that will delight both young and old with the various art objects, statues, manuscripts and historical explanations.
The detail that makes the difference for your children? The free audio guide also offers adapted commentaries 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 a city known for its gastronomic heritage. Starred restaurants, brasseries, tea rooms… There really is something for every taste and style! Here is 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.
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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 connected to each other over a length of 68.58 meters and a width of 70 cm, of which 50 cm are devoted to embroidery. With effects of perspective and depth, the woolen 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 work created in the 11th century. Finally, the strip of canvas from which the Tapestry hangs has 58 numbers that identify each of the events in this legendary story.
The mystery of the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry
What does this monument to Norman lacemaking know-how tell us? The Bayeux Tapestry celebrates the victory of Hastings on October 14, 1066, the success of William, Duke of Normandy, over the English. The creation of the Bayeux Tapestry, intimately linked to the town whose name it bears, raises many questions. Both in terms of its sponsor and its place of manufacture. Indeed, it would have been held in the south of England, probably in Canterbury around 1070, just a few years after the victory of William the Conqueror.
It appears, for many historians, that its sponsor was Odon de Conteville, bishop of Bayeux and member of the family of William the Conqueror. He would have ordered this embroidery to decorate the nave of the new Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Bayeux consecrated in July 1077. It would not be Queen Mathilde, wife of the Duke of Normandy, and her ladies-in-waiting who would be at the origin of its conception.
Most scholars agree on the English origin of the work, but there are differing opinions on where it was made. For some, the Bayeux Tapestry would have been embroidered at the Abbey of St. Augustine in Canterbury, for others in Winchester or Wilton, England.
Take the German historian Wolfgang Grape who defends the Norman hypothesis. According to him, the Tapestry was made in Bayeux itself in Normandy. On the other hand, a recent hypothesis comes from the American historian George Beech. For him, several clues would demonstrate that the conception of the Bayeux Tapestry would have been held at the Abbey of Saint-Florent, in Saumur, France. Still a lot of debates around this thousand-year-old creation!
The secrets of its realization in the eleventh century
We know that embroidery is a real tradition in Normandy. In addition to housing the Lace Conservatory, the city of Bayeux has also dedicated a whole section of the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History to lacemaking know-how. It is also one of the places not to be missed in Bayeux.
From wool to linen and natural pigments, the Bayeux Tapestry required different stages of production and several natural materials to achieve this feat. Ready to learn more about the art of embroidery?
First, the linen canvas on which the scenes of the tapestry 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
Then come the woolen threads, essential in the textile making in the Middle Ages. In the 11th century, the wool for embroidery was spun by hand. Note that the thickness of the threads may vary depending on whether they will be used for the “stem stitch” or the “throw stitch”. We reassure you, we did not become embroidery pros after a few days spent in Bayeux, but almost!
Did you know that embroidery skills involve stitching several types of stitches, each with a specific name? First, the stem stitch of the straight stitch family, also called “needle stitch” or “cast-on stitch”. It is used to make lines, stems of flowers for example. Secondly, the launched point is the so-called base point. It allows you to go horizontally, vertically or obliquely on the canvas.
Obtaining the color shades, a meticulous work
To illuminate this textile work of different colors, three plants were used as natural dyes. By what means? You can learn more in the museum’s exhibition room. Nevertheless, we really wanted to share with you what we discovered there… Because we were really amazed by these processes, which were already highly technical at that time!
The successive soaking of the wool, interspersed with air drying, will allow to obtain the desired density of color. Did you know that these three vegetable dyes can generate about ten 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 regard, the original colors of the work have changed little over time, unlike those used for the restoration of some parts of the Bayeux Tapestry. Those restored in the nineteenth century have become more discordant as the last scenes of the tapestry when William, Duke of Normandy, finally wins this battle against the troops of Harold.
A museum housed in the former Major Seminary of Bayeux
The Bayeux Tapestry was first displayed as an ornament in the nave of Notre-Dame de Bayeux Cathedral in the 11th century. After the civil war of Bayeux in the Middle Ages, which opposed the heirs of William, Duke of Normandy, this embroidery was stored in the library museum of the cathedral.
Today, you can admire it in the former Major Seminary of Bayeux, now called “William the Conqueror Center”. This building, built in the 17th century, is a former Catholic educational institution attached to a chapel built in the 13th century. It is the oldest element of the building that was once the priory of the canons of Saint Augustine.
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 the occupation in 1941, the German Service for the Protection of Works of Art decided to move the Bayeux Tapestry outside the city. Thus, the abbey of Saint-Martin de Mondaye in Calvados will host the tapestry temporarily to protect it from the risks 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!
Also, you have the possibility, and we strongly recommend it, to take the free audioguide just before entering the room where the embroidery is located. It is even available in 16 languages with a “junior” version for the youngest in French and English!
Visitors are not allowed to photograph the original tapestry. Its reproduction, whatever its form, is very well 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 recounts the events of the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy. The story begins in 1064, when King Edward the Confessor of England asked his brother-in-law, Harold, to go across the Channel. The purpose of this trip was to offer the throne of England to William, Duke of Normandy. Thanks to the digital tool put in place in 2016, you have the possibility on the second level of the museum, to browse on screen each scene of the tapestry to better identify the details!
You will notice that the Bayeux Tapestry features Harold’s ship reaching the continent. After many twists and turns, the latter succeeded in transmitting the message of the King of England to the Duke of Normandy. Before setting sail again for England with Edward, Harold will swear an oath of loyalty to William the Conqueror on the relics of Bayeux cathedral. However, upon returning across the Channel and the death of King Edward, Harold eventually betrayed his oath.
The Bayeux Tapestry: between war and spirituality
In January 1066, England will crown Harold in place of William, Duke of Normandy. When William was made aware of this situation, he decided to regain his throne. Therefore, 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 hesitation, it is this pivotal moment in the history of the conquest of England that will mark a real turning point. With Harold’s death from an arrow in the eyes, some historians define this scene as having a moral purpose to illustrate 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 who became King of England, consolidated his power after winning the battle of Hastings in 1066. Putting an end to the revolts and looting becomes a necessity. Let us specify that his army, certainly victorious, was considerably reduced from 7000 to approximately 5000 men.
His soldiers, tried and tested, looted and burned the various regions visited in England, particularly in the southeast. Some regions will remain permanently marked by their passage. The Bayeux Tapestry also shows the violence of the looting, as in scene 47 where a woman leaves her house with her child after the Normans set it on fire.
Constitution of a new ruling class
How can we put an end to these violent practices to ensure peace? King William decided to give the leaders of his army a livelihood and therefore to give them land. The seizure of part of the land possessions of the Anglo-Saxon aristocrats to distribute them to his vassals began. Also, a number of Norman and French barons received considerable land endowments and were able to administer and enforce order in England during the reign of William I. Indeed, the Domesday Book, a great 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 1000 years that you can contemplate on site!
They were both locals and military leaders who made a major contribution to the leadership of the population that was forcibly subjugated after William’s coronation. The Norman conquest encouraged the introduction of a feudal system in England as it existed on the continent.
Models of villages are exhibited at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, illustrating in great detail the life of the Middle Ages at that time. But above all, you will understand the importance for William I, known as the Conqueror, King of England and Duke of Normandy, to establish his power and the Norman domination over these territories. In any case, revolts multiplied from 1068 onwards in different parts of England. It was largely by building 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 the lace-making know-how and the artistic prowess it represents, the Bayeux Tapestry also has an irreplaceable documentary value. Indeed, it will inform you about several aspects of life in the 11th century.
First of all, we really enjoyed learning so much about castle building, which is one of the famous skills of the Normans. Did you know that, already after the landing on the English coast in 1066, the Norman troops had built a fortification of this kind at Hastings shortly before the battle that opposed them to Harold’s army?
A whole section of the tour will explain the different types of fortifications and how the Normans used them to their advantage. After his coronation, William built three urban castles in London and two in York, effective during the great revolts. The fortifications in the rural areas, on the other hand, represent support points for the main 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 course in the museum allowed us to understand better:
- 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 earthen levee supported on a rocky plateau, topped by a tower. A central element of the fortified building, the tower serves as a lookout post but also as a place of entrenchment outside the castle. Take the time to observe the details of the model. Even the steep staircase that allows access to the tower via a drawbridge that communicates with the bailey has been reproduced!
Military engineering
Nearly 20 meters of the tapestry are dedicated to the battle of Hastings, red carpet of William the Conqueror to access the throne of England. And a good part of the museum is dedicated to it to help you visualize the course of this crucial moment in the conquest of England. You will notice that this work on linen canvas also illustrates the weapons and war clothes used in the Middle Ages, and more precisely in the 11th century. Nevertheless, the reality may have been somewhat distorted to favor aesthetic harmony and improve the readability of the embroidery on canvas.
On the other hand, the work brings to light little documented realities. By zooming in on the Bayeux Tapestry with the digital tool available on the second level, we witness the horses’ falls as they rear up and fall backwards or tumble forward. Their deaths often lead to those of their riders, carried away with them by the movement of the fall.
Archery, decisive on the battlefield
We notice that the place of the archers is central. The bow and arrows are as short and taut at chest height on the Bayeux Tapestry. While in reality during the fight, archaeologists explain that the bow is stretched at jaw height. We wondered if this shrinkage was not deliberately intended by the artist so that the faces of the characters would be more visible.
You will see that the objects, documents and reproductions in the museum insist a lot on this aspect. Especially since historical research and discoveries show that archery was an essential component of the Norman army. In the same way, the tapestry represents only one archer in the Anglo-Saxon camp. While it is also a component of the English army, archery is less central to it than it was to the Normans in reality.
The armory and its accessories
As you continue your visit along the museum’s route, you will discover examples of weapons and protection in chain mail. Some are even presented on life-size mannequins! These reproductions will allow you to better understand all the weapons represented on the embroidery.
Indeed, if you look closely at the Bayeux Tapestry, you will see that it relates the importance of the Normans’ cavalry and military accessories. We notice in the detail of the embroidery the heavy saddles and stirrups. But we also learn more about the weapons and clothing used at that time to defend themselves: swords, wooden shields, chain mail, brogues (or tunics), Danish axes, metal helmets … Have you noticed that other weapons stand out on the embroidery? Like the spears that both armies have. With a wooden shaft of about 2m, 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 of naval archaeology, for example. Consider that on the original tapestry, the ships are all Scandinavian: wooden ships propelled by sail. This embroidery on linen shows you that the direction of these boats is ensured by means of a large oar rudder which is used to start the boat so that it can leave the coast. Several oars appear on the first scenes of the tapestry, do you see them?
You’re probably wondering how these ships came to be? The Bayeux Tapestry also answers this question by providing information on the techniques and tools of shipbuilding at the time. In an extraordinary concern for the precision and pedagogy of the work, we see on the embroidery the lumberjacks who cut down and prune trees to provide enough wood for the carpenters.
In the shipyard, you will notice that the master carpenter has an essential role: he is responsible for shaping the protruding parts of the ship’s bow called “bows”. A Viking heritage, this boat made it possible to navigate in shallow waters. This is probably what helped the fleet of William the Conqueror to reach the English coast more easily. A whole section of the museum is dedicated to naval history!
On the photograph below, you will find the Thorvald exposed on the second level, the only replica in the world of a “Kirkebat” kept in the Oslo museum in Norway. Still in use in the 19th century, it was also used to transport villagers to church across the fjords. But what does Thorvald mean? It is the name of the son of Erik the Red, famous Viking adventurer of the 10th century who left Iceland to discover Greenland.
Feudal society and the functioning of powers
You will see that the Bayeux Tapestry will also bring you more information on the Norman feudal system, which William the Conqueror will install from scratch once crowned King of England. Look carefully at the different scenes of the tapestry where you can see the presence of the Church. Notably when the body of King Edward is buried in St. Peter’s Church or the many crosses on the outer bands of the embroidery.
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
Remember to read the many very useful explanatory panels installed in the Guillamume room of the museum, you will see that several hypotheses are highlighted and none are set aside. Whether it is on the sponsor of the tapestry, its place of manufacture and its authors but also the course of the battles. After reading all these explanations, it appeared to us that the tapestry would be the illustration of the Norman version of events and thus a work of Norman propaganda having for justification the conquest of England in 1066. Of course, some researchers suggest the possibility that this is also a work that defends the English camp.
Concerning the decisive battle that led William the Conqueror’s army to victory, it took place about ten kilometers north of the town of Hastings. We learned a lot in this exhibition room 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 representation of this battle in several scenes, educational panels help you to distinguish specific elements of fragments of the tapestry. For example, if you focus on the lower border of the Bayeux Tapestry, especially towards the last scenes, you will realize that it is used to represent the dead on the battlefield.
The representation of animals on the original tapestry
Other objects exhibited in the room on the second level will shed light on the characters represented, and in particular the animals. If you look closely at the central band of the Bayeux Tapestry, you will see that it is framed by friezes of about 7cm each. These borders feature real or imaginary animals. You will be able to distinguish at the same time:
- birds, lions, dogs, deer,
- but also hybrid creatures like griffins and centaurs.
You will also see Aesop’s fable, The Raven and The Fox, dating back to antiquity. As you go along the tour, you will find some explanations on the importance of animals in the Middle Ages and their representations.
So this nearly 1000 year old embroidery is also a way to better understand the place of certain animals, such as horses for the cavalry. Did you know that the original tapestry provides a very precise knowledge of horse harnessing? With a bridle including the browband, the headpiece, the noseband and the metal bit inserted in the mouth. The archaeological findings have moreover testified to 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 Tapestry Museum also offers temporary exhibitions to complete the visit. For example, when we were there, we had the chance to admire the giant mural painted by the artist David Hockney entitled A Year in Normandy.
What is the Bayeux stitch in embroidery?
This embroidery stitch belongs to the Norman and English heritage: it was used to embroider the famous Bayeux Tapestry, known as Queen Matilda in the 11th century. In reality, it is not the latter who made this work on linen canvas because the hands of the artists remain unknown to this day.
This 70 meter long embroidery made with woolen threads of six dominant colors highlights the know-how of the city and region of Bayeux. The Bayeux point consists 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?
Roman city then medieval, Bayeux has a rich historical, artistic, cultural but also gastronomic heritage! Its museums, its Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, its botanical garden, its restaurants, its delicatessens and its artisan workshops… You will find many points of tourist interest. It is also a city spared during the bombings and conflicts of the Second World War, it served as a military base for British soldiers. Bayeux is home to the largest British military cemetery in France.
