The Bayeux tapestry is found, funnily
enough, in Bayeux in Normandy. It is 231
feet long – and in embroidery tells the story of the Norman conquest of
England. It is said to have been made by
Queen Mathilde, the Queen of William the Conqueror. The tapestry is now kept in near darkness to
preserve it.
It is
actually in quite good nick. We went
straight after it opened again after lunch – by accident – but it was a great
time to go – we were the very first in and were not at all hurried. They do have an audio guide which keeps you
moving along, though.
The
tapestry is of an amazing scale – over 600 men are depicted, 200 horses and
over 500 animals. This is not just
sewing, this is art!
A replica
of the tapestry was done by some English women in Victorian times and can be
seen in the Museum of Reading – apparently they left out the naughty bits!
Bayeux was
the first city to be liberated in 1944.
A visit to the Bayeux cemetery gives you some feel for the scales of the
lives lost in WWII.
Although
Bayeux is most famous for the tapestry there is also a lovely cathedral there.
I have admired the Bayeux tapestry for many years! Thanks for the bit of history. I'm so glad it wasn't destroyed during WWII. The amount of work that went into making it is staggering!
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