Bayeux: the Tapestry and the Battle of Normandy

Today I left Pontorson at 10:00 and took a very pleasant train trip across eastern Normandy to Bayeux.  Along the way, I passed through Coutances and St. Lô, two sites of important battles in the Normandy Campaign during World War II.  The Normandy countryside is incredibely beautiful: farmlands and pastures filled with cows. 

Around noon, I arrived in Bayeux, a village famous for three things: it’s incredible cathedral, the Bayeux Tapestry, and for being the first French village liberated by the Allies during the Second World War.

The cathedral is visible from anywhere in the village.  Notre-Dame de Bayeux was built in 1077, but partially destroyed in 1105.  The pair original Romanesque towers still remain.  The nave is built in the Norman Romanesque style, a distinct arechitectural school in and of itself, and the choir is in the Norman Gothic style.  There is also an incredible gothic tower rising up in the center of the building.  There is an incredible amount of beautiful stained glass and gargoyles in the structure as well.  There is a plaque in the cathedral commemorated to the British division that liberated the town, calling for eternal prayers to be said for those of the unit who lost their lives in the Normandy Campaign and during the rest of the war

The Bayeux Tapestry is actually embroidery on linen that is 226 feet long and 20 inches wide.  It depicts 58 scenes in eight colours, detailing the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings, the battle, and the immediate aftermath.  It is the story of Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Essex and briefly ruling King of England, and William the Bastard, later the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy and later the King of England, the latter who led the Norman invasion of England and established Norman dominancy over the kingdom.  It is now believed that the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, brother to William the Conqueror and bishop of the Cathedral de Notre-Dame de Bayeux.  It would be hung in the cathedral two times a year as a way of teaching the history of the conflict to the mostly illiterate peasants.  It is also surprisingly unbiased in that it is not totally Norman slanted.  Harold is shown in a rather sympathetic light, most probably to appease the Anglo-Saxons who now found themselves under Norman rule.  Evidence suggests that it was fabricated in England and then transported to Bayeux.  The tapestry is quite a remarkable work and is very incredible in the details that it shows. 

The last major sight I saw today was the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, which provides an incredibly in depth look at the D-Day invasions and the three months that followed.  It identified the major commanders on each side and the roles that they played.  It showed the equipment used (all artifacts from the battle) and explained at length the day by day strategy and developments.  It also had a large section devoted to Charles de Gaulle, who is pretty badass.  Self-serving, yes, but he ultimately had the best interest of the French people in mind and worked tirelessly to keep France French and unbeaten, despite her occupation.  Did you know that he survived 31 recorded assassination attempts?   

The Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum was very moving and tomorrow I am going to go on an all-day tour of Omaha Beach, the American war cemetery, and several of the locations integral to the actions of the 101^st Airborne, as immortalized in the book and HBO series Band of Brothers.