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Everyone has heard of the Bayeux tapestry, and most people know that it is a cartoon-type picture story of the Battle of Hastings. That is probably all that most people do know about Bayeux, however. If so, they are missing out on a very lovely French town with a great deal of history and much to offer the tourist.
Bayeux has a very long history, and was quite a venerable town even when the Bayeux tapestry was made, nearly a millennium ago. Ptolomy mentions it around 120BC as an important market place. It was also nearby a place holy to the druids.
Excavations have suggested that Bayeux was an important town under the Romans and under the Saxons. Its inhabitants suffered under the Viking Conquests of the 9th century. However, the Viking conqueror of the region married the daughter of the local noble, establishing a dynasty that led to the birth of William the Conqueror and, by descent, of the Kings of England for 150 years. Despite the popularity of Scandinavian religious worship, because of the number of conquering Vikings who remained in the area, Christianity eventually gained hold here as in the rest of France, leaving important buildings behind for the modern tourist.
The Bayeux Tourist Information Office is located in one of the few authentic half-timbered houses remaining intact in Bayeux. These beautiful buildings are found all over Normandy and Brittany, the styles differing slightly from one location to the next. Depending on which town they are found in, these buildings may have wonderful carvings on the timbers themselves, or attached to them. One such building in Bayeux is the Grand Argouges Residence, which has carvings of the Virgin Mary and assorted saints all over its frontage.
Bayeux Cathedral as it now stands was built around the time of the Norman Conquests, although as with most other centers of religious importance, there had been a place of worship on the site for much longer. (In fact, the remains of a Roman temple have been discovered on the site). It was completed at a time when William the Conqueror's half brother, Odo of Conteville, was Bishop. It was dedicated on 14th July 1077, probably on the same day that the Bayeux Tapestry was first unveiled to the public. The cathedral is full of interest and worth a thoughtful visit.
The Bayeux Tapestry is on view to the public in an old seminary known as the Centre Guillaume. It is housed under controlled conditions so that neither the atmosphere nor the light damage its now fragile materials. It is housed in a very long glass case and one files past slowly. It is far more interesting to see in reality than any pictures can ever show - the pictures come alive and look as though they were embroidered yesterday. Contrary to popular opinion, the Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidery, not a tapestry. It was made using only a few colors and simple embroidery stitches such as any competent embroiderer could execute today. It is well worthwhile taking your time examining the Bayeux Tapestry; it is endlessly interesting.
Normandy was handed over to France in 1204 and rapidly lost its significance as a trading and administrative center. The Middle Ages were a time of religious upheaval and bloodshed throughout France, and for Bayeux this did not cease until the reign of Louis XIV in the seventeenth century. This was a time of peace but only limited prosperity for Bayeux, during which time many important religious buildings were extended or built in the town. The modern tourist may visit several of these, including the former seminary, which now houses the Tapestry. It was built at the end of the seventeenth century on the site of a former priory, of which the thirteenth century chapel now remains. This Grand Seminary included buildings belonging to several orders of monks, priests and nuns, and the Maison Dieu, or hospital, and a hospice.
Numerous classically proportioned late eighteenth century mansions abound throughout the more prosperous sections of Bayeux. Generally considered to be the most beautiful, the Castilly Mansion, rue General-de-Dais, was designed by one of Bayeux's most successful architects, Jacques Moussard.
Bayeux suffered along with the rest of the country during the French Revolution. As religion had been abolished, the cathedral was transformed into a Temple of Reason and the Supreme Being. A tree still stands on the square between the town hall and the cathedral, which was planted as a Liberty Tree during the revolutionary period.
As with the rest of France, post-revolutionary Bayeux became solidly bourgeois. The railway arrived. A gasworks and a porcelain works were established. (The porcelain works closed down 100 years later, but not before Bayeux porcelain had become world famous). The Botanic Gardens were laid out in the mid nineteenth century and are still a pleasure to visit.
Bayeux remained unscathed during the Second World War and gladly welcomed the Allies the day after the D-Day landings. A monument in the Place du Chateau commemorates the visit paid by General de Gaulle a few days later.
There is a British War Graves Cemetery in Bayeux and a Battle of Normandy Museum, and the beaches of Omaha and other D-Day landing sites are an easy journey out of town.
Next door to the magnificent cathedral, tourists will find the excellent Baron-Gerard Museum and Art Gallery. Across from the south side of the Cathedral lies the Museum of Sacred Art.
Bayeux is also a beautiful town to stroll around. There are quaint back streets, pretty old houses, and well-kept gardens full of cottage garden flowers. It is an ideal location for a Normandy holiday, as you can explore the area easily with day trips. The food is wonderful in Normandy, especially fresh seafood on the coast.
For more tourist information, refer to 'The Story of Bayeux' by Jacques Billy (English version translated by Angela Moyon), Editions Ouest-France.
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