“Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin” - The icons of the cathedral were painted by the wonderful Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev. Why are historical monuments national shrines of the Fatherland? The façade of the chamber is lined with white cut stone, hence the name of the chamber. Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin Architect: Aleviz Novy. Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

“Churches, temples and cathedrals” - Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The temple consists of 9 churches on one foundation. Holy Assumption Cathedral. Which architectural ensemble is a miracle of Russian wooden architecture? The brilliant serf architect Yakov Bukhvostov was illiterate. Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Central - Pokrovsky.

"Cathedral" - Cathedral. Construction began in 1386 and ended in 1856. The abundance of keel-shaped zakomaras and kokoshniks resembles stone lace. A. Amadeo, C. Solari, P. Tibaldi and others. Notre Dame Cathedral. There are several cathedrals in the city. Paul in London, St. Sophia Cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod). Zemsky Sobor.

“St. Sophia Cathedral” - Frescoes were painted with water-based paints, which absorbed the primer well into the damp surface. The presence of choirs in many churches of the Old Russian state was a characteristic phenomenon. With the adoption of Christianity, the construction of temples and monasteries begins. St. Sophia Cathedral had a so-called “zakomar” covering. Monuments of ancient Russian architecture indicate the high development of construction in the state.

“Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir” - Here at that time there were meat, shoe, and dyeing rows. Museum reserve. The plateau is divided into three parts by transverse ravines. The Assumption Cathedral became even more majestic. The leading role has always been played by the central part, or the Kremlin. In the banner armorial of 1730. For the first time, the lion's head is turned to the front.

“Resurrection Cathedral” - The Cathedral is surrounded on three sides by two-tier galleries. Once again I look at the cathedral, unable to hide my delight and amazement. Resurrection Cathedral (1652-1675). It’s like lace – a colored pattern. I was fascinated by its skillful execution. The whole temple is like a white stone wonder! K. Konyushev. The cathedral is crowned by a powerful five-domed dome with simple, slender eight-pointed crosses.

Authorship and technique

The earliest written evidence of a carpet is contained in the inventory of the property of the Bayeux Cathedral, dated. The exact author of this work of art has not been established. According to the traditional view, the carpet was embroidered on the orders of Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, by her court weavers. In France, the carpet is known as the Queen Mathilde Carpet.

Currently, the carpet is exhibited in a special museum in Bayeux, and, in order to avoid deterioration of the condition of this work of art, it is placed under glass, and special low lighting is maintained in the room.

Plot

The images embroidered on the carpet tell the story of the Norman conquest of England. Events unfold in chronological order and are presented in successive scenes: the sending of Harold by King Edward the Confessor to Normandy; his capture by the men of Guy, Count of Ponthieu, and release by Duke William; Harold's oath to William and his participation in the Siege of Dinan; death of Edward the Confessor and coronation of Harold; the appearance of a comet, foreshadowing misfortune, over Harold's palace; William's preparations for invasion and the route of his fleet across the English Channel; and finally the Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold.

The authors of the carpet reflected the Norman point of view on the events of the city. Thus, the Anglo-Saxon king Harold is depicted as hypocritical, and the Norman Duke William as a decisive and brave warrior. Harold's coronation is carried out by the excommunicated Stigand, although most likely, according to the testimony of Florence of Worcester, the anointing was carried out by Archbishop Eldred, who was ordained in full accordance with church canons.

Part of the carpet, about 6.4 m long, has not survived. It probably depicted events after the Battle of Hastings, including the coronation of William the Conqueror.

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

The Bayeux carpet is a huge linen fabric embroidered with woolen threads in 8 colors. Its width reaches 53 cm and its length is 68.38 meters. For the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that this masterpiece of the early Middle Ages is not a tapestry carpet. This is embroidery with multi-colored threads. It belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Stored in the city hall of Bayeux (France - Normandy). This masterpiece was created in the 11th century. In the 9th-10th centuries, residents of the northern coastal regions of France were regularly attacked Vikings. They not only robbed, but also settled in the plundered territories near the sea. This is how the Duchy of Normandy appeared at the mouth of the Seine River. The French king assigned this territory to the Viking leader Rollon as a fief.

The Normans mastered horse riding and became a formidable force not only at sea, but also on land. In the 11th century they began to lay claim to the English throne. This all resulted in a military campaign by William, a descendant of Rollo, to England in 1066. The Normans landed on the English coast and at the Battle of Hastings inflicted a crushing defeat on the Anglo-Saxons, led by King Harold. After this, Norman rule was established in England, and William received the addition of Conqueror to his name.

The Bayeux carpet precisely reflects the above-described historical events. Moreover, the scenes are embroidered in chronological order. The main fabric is made of 9 fabrics ranging from 3 to 14 meters in length. The joints are disguised with embroidery. The boundaries between the first and second panels do not coincide somewhat, but then the technique was improved, and subsequent joints are almost invisible.

Embroidered on the canvas are 626 human figures, 202 horse figures, 55 dogs, 505 other various animals, 41 ships, 37 houses and 49 trees. The embroidery begins with the departure of the heir to the throne, Harold, to Normandy. Then other historical events are depicted, including the coronation of Harold, the appearance of a comet in the sky indicating future misfortunes, and the invasion of William's fleet into England. The Battle of Hastings and the death of King Harold are also depicted. The last part of the tapestry (presumably more than 6 meters in length) has not survived. It was most likely embroidered with the coronation of William the Conqueror.

  1. Romanesque architecture of France at the end of the 11th - 19th centuries: regional schools, their origins and artistic specifics.

The term “Romanesque architecture” was introduced into scientific use in 1825 by the French archaeologist Arcisse de Caumont as a definition of Western European architecture immediately preceding Gothic (By “Gothic” architecture, publicists and artists of the Italian Renaissance meant architecture that arose after the fall of antiquity, although actually “Gothic” "could only be called the mausoleum of the Ostrogoth Theodornchus in Ravenna. What is now called "Gothic" they called the "modern French style" (opus francigenum), contrasting it with the classics revived in Italy. Subsequently, until the appearance of the term "Romanesque architecture ", all the architecture of medieval Europe, in contrast to the architecture of the Renaissance, was called “Gothic.”). In the modern understanding, this term covers all the diverse construction in Western Europe from the beginning of the 11th century. before the emergence of “Gothic” architecture. This architecture was called “Romanesque” because it saw the revival of some Roman structures and forms (cylindrical and cross vaults, semi-circular arches, rubble concrete core of walls and supports with ashlar cladding, etc.), and also because it arose in a territory inhabited by peoples speaking languages ​​of the “Romance” group.

Both are true only very relatively. The similarity of some constructive techniques does not yet make Romanesque architecture a derivative of Roman architecture, since, for all its importance as a means of solving various spatial problems, not only designs create such a complete architectural system as Romanesque. In addition, the builders of the Romanesque era created a whole series of purely constructive techniques in the system of supports and vaults regardless of the Roman heritage. Already in the previous period, the direct contrast to Roman compositions was the restless combination of volumes in Carolingian architecture. Only in the interiors of the early basilicas of Rome itself was the ancient perception of space preserved for a relatively long time


Bayeux (French Bayeux) is a city in Normandy (northwest France), in the department of Calvados. Bayeux is located in the fertile Or River valley, 12 km from the English Channel.
In ancient times Bayeux was the center of the Gaulish tribe of the Bayocasses, and in Roman times was called "Augustodorum" and, as the remains of an aqueduct, a gymnasium and other signs of civilization show, achieved a certain degree of prosperity.
In the 3rd century, this area belonged to the so-called “Saxon Coast” (lat. Litus Saxonicum, modern department of the Loire-Atlantique), then to the territory of Little Saxony (lat. Otlingua Saxonia, modern department of Calvados), where Charlemagne evicted the Saxons he had conquered. The descendants of these settlers were called “Bessen Saxons” for a long time. Bayeux was the main city of the Bessin region. In the 4th century a bishopric was founded in the city, and in the 9th century another Saxon element, also of Germanic origin, was added. The Norman Rollon (from 912 Christian Duke of Normandy) took Bayeux from Count Berengard, who was killed during the Viking assault on the city, and whose beautiful daughter became the wife of the winner. Thus, Bayeux became the main center of Norman power in Upper Normandy and retained Scandinavian customs longer than other cities.
The main attraction of the city is the cathedral, the construction of which began in 1105 and was completed in 1497. The city also houses a museum in which the famous “Bayeux carpet” is exhibited, a monument of early medieval art, which is an embroidered canvas 50 cm high and 70 ,3 m long, depicting the most important events from the history of the conquest of England by William of Normandy. In France, the tapestry is known as Queen Matilda's Carpet, as it was long believed that the painting was embroidered by the hands of William the Conqueror's wife, Queen Matilda. However, there is now a second theory that the customer of the carpet was Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, one of William's closest associates and maternal half-brother, in which case the tapestry's makers were probably English weavers, since the bishop's main land holdings were in Kent. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that some Latin names on the carpet are derived from Anglo-Saxon ones, and the plant dyes used to create the carpet were widespread in England. There is an assumption that the authors of the carpet from Bayeux were the monks of the monastery of St. Augustine in Canterbury.

The main plot of the tapestry is the Battle of Hastings (English: Battle of Hastings, October 14, 1066) between the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold Godwinson and the troops of the Norman Duke William:
“We fought fiercely for most of the day, with neither side yielding. Convinced of this, Wilhelm gave the signal for an imaginary flight from the battlefield. As a result of this trick, the battle ranks of the Angles were upset, trying to exterminate the randomly retreating enemy, and thus their own death was accelerated; for the Normans, turning sharply, attacked the separated enemies, and put them to flight. So, deceived by cunning, they accepted a glorious death, avenging their homeland. But still, they avenged themselves with interest, and, stubbornly resisting, left piles of dead from their pursuers. Having taken possession of the hill, they threw the Normans into the hollow when they, engulfed in flames [of battle], stubbornly climbed to the heights, and destroyed every single one, easily shooting arrows at those approaching from below and rolling stones onto them.”
Chronicler William of Poitevin about the battle of the Normans and Anglo-Saxons.

The earliest written evidence of a carpet is contained in the inventory of the property of Bayeux Cathedral, dated 1476. The carpet was discovered at the end of the 17th century in Bayeux, where it was traditionally exhibited once a year in the local cathedral. The first reproductions of the carpet were published in the 1730s. Bernard de Montfaucon. During the French Revolution, some Republicans from Bayeux wanted to make a carpet out of carpet for a cart with military ammunition, but one of the lawyers, who understood the value of the carpet, saved it by providing another fabric. In 1803, Napoleon took the carpet to Paris to promote the planned French invasion of England. However, when the invasion plan failed, the carpet was returned to Bayeux. There it was kept rolled up until it was captured by representatives of the German Ahnenerbe. The carpet spent most of the Second World War in the dungeons of the Louvre.

The carpet is currently on display in a special museum in Bayeux, and in order to avoid deterioration of the condition of this work of art, it is placed under glass, and special low lighting is maintained in the room.

The carpet is embroidered on linen with woolen threads in four colors: purple, blue, green and black. When embroidering, the chain stitch technique, the stem stitch technique, as well as a simple “set” were used.

Events unfold in chronological order and are presented in successive scenes: the sending of Harold by King Edward the Confessor to Normandy; his capture by the men of Guy, Count of Ponthieu, and release by Duke William; Harold's oath to William and his participation in the siege of Dinan; death of Edward the Confessor and coronation of Harold; the appearance of a comet, foreshadowing misfortune, over Harold's palace; William's preparations for invasion and the route of his fleet across the English Channel; and finally the Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold. Part of the carpet, about 6.4 m long, has not survived. It probably depicted events after the Battle of Hastings, including the coronation of William the Conqueror.

The authors of the carpet reflected the Norman point of view on the events of 1066, for example, the coronation of Harold is carried out by the excommunicated Stigand, although most likely, according to the testimony of Florence of Worcester, the anointing was carried out by Archbishop Eldred, who was ordained in full accordance with church canons. Moreover, according to the legend depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, an arrow hit the king's right eye. According to another version, Harold was hacked to death by Norman knights. The Chronicle of the Roman de Rou reports that King Harold was wounded by an arrow in the eye, but pulled out the arrow and continued to fight until he fell to the blows of the Norman knights. Even earlier, the king's brothers Girt and Leofwin died. Left without leaders, the Anglo-Saxon army fled, although the king's squad continued to fight around the body of their overlord to the last.
Wilhelm's victory was complete. Several thousand Anglo-Saxons were left lying on the battlefield. William later gave the hacked body of King Harold to his mother for burial.

Memorial plaque at the site of King Harold's death:

The Battle of Hastings is one of the few battles that radically changed the course of history. The victory opened up England for William. After a short resistance, London submitted, and the surviving Anglo-Saxon aristocracy recognized William's rights to the English throne.
On December 25, 1066, William was crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey. As a result of the Norman Conquest, the ancient Anglo-Saxon state was destroyed, which was replaced by a centralized feudal monarchy with strong royal power, based on the European knightly culture and the vassal-fief system. A new impetus was given to the development of the country, which allowed England to quickly become one of the strongest powers in Europe.
On the site of the Battle of Hastings, the Battle Monastery was founded, and the altar of the main church of the monastery was located right on the site of the death of King Harold. Later, the small town of Battle grew up around the monastery.

Hastings Battlefield. View from the Norman positions:

In the morning we headed to the place that I really wanted to see, but about which I knew almost nothing - to the carpet museum, located in the small town of Bayeux.

A little history of the city. Bayeux emerged as a Roman camp to defend against Germanic attacks in the 1st century. BC. under the name Augustodurum. Although fortifications between the sea and the Or River existed earlier, no evidence of the existence of a Celtic city has been found. In the Gallo-Roman era it was an important center on the road between present-day Lisieux and Valognes at the ford of the Or, which crosses the city from south to north. Since the settlement was located on the territory of the Gallic tribe of Bayokassi (as Pliny called them), in the 4th century. it is already referred to as Bayocassium.

At first, a settlement of artisans and traders developed on the western bank of the river. Nearby was Mount Faunus, where the Celtic Druids still held their ritual ceremonies. This mountain was also associated with the first martyrs of the new religion - Christianity. All this, apparently, contributed to the subsequent transformation of the settlement into a religious center. Towards the end of the Roman Empire it became an episcopal center, one of the oldest.

The city of Roman times had a clear rectangular layout, which was preserved in the medieval city, which for a long time did not go beyond the walls: artisans lived in the north, nobles lived in the southwest, and the church’s possessions lived in the southeast. Moreover, church properties are becoming more and more important and extensive, and the Norman castle that once existed disappears completely (the current De Gaulle Square).

The Bishopric of Bayeux is one of the oldest in Normandy. The first bishops came from the Gallo-Roman nobility, close to the kings. Episcopal power increased after the fall of the Roman Empire. After its formation in the 10th century. Duchy bishops were from the Norman ducal family. Under William the Conqueror, religious power in the city flourished. Not far from Bayeux was Caen, which in the time of William was the main city of the duchy. The Duke appoints Odon, his half-brother, as bishop. It was under him that the construction of the current cathedral began. And it was Odon who placed the famous carpet in this cathedral for centuries.

During the war for the throne between the sons of William, Bayeux suffered severe destruction and experienced decline. In the 13th century. it, as part of Normandy, comes under the rule of the French king. But the religious power of the clergy remained very strong in the city, because, owning enormous wealth, they were able to buy benefits from the king. Only after the Hundred Years' War did a strong secular government appear in the city, which resists the religious one. Religious wars weakened the church, split the inhabitants and thereby again slowed down the development of the city. Episcopal power strengthened in the 17th century, when the city expanded beyond the city walls, which ran approximately along the border of the Roman camp. A number of monasteries of different orders appeared around the center. The revolution put an end to religious authority in the city.

Bayeux is located 12 km from the beaches where the Allies landed in June 1944. During Operation Overlord, the city was the first to be liberated and therefore escaped destruction. The first French government in the liberated territory settled here. To prepare for the operation to liberate Caen, the Allies even built a bypass road (now the district boulevard) to prevent the vibration of heavy equipment from destroying the ancient city and its cathedral. On the ring road there is currently a cemetery for those killed during the liberation of Normandy and a museum dedicated to it.

Since Bayeux was an episcopal center for a long time, it is necessary to talk about the main cathedral of the city. Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux Built from the 11th to the 15th centuries, it was the main cathedral of the bishopric that existed here from the 4th to the 19th centuries. The construction was started by Bishop Hugo of Evry, but the cathedral was completed and consecrated under Odon. Odon participated in the conquest of England, received significant financial resources and was then able to quickly complete construction. The temple was consecrated in the presence of William and Matilda. But it has already been used, because on the carpet of Queen Matilda, Harold takes the oath of allegiance on the relics of this cathedral.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux

A clergy quarter was formed around the cathedral: the clergy's houses (XIV-XVIII centuries), the bishop's palace, the chapter's library, and the canon's house.

The oldest parts of the cathedral are the crypt (with decorative elements from the 11th century and paintings from the 15th century) and the bases of the towers of the western facade. Only the crypt survived the war of succession for the sons of William the Conqueror, when the cathedral burned down almost completely. Then the cathedral burned again at the end of the 12th century. For almost a century and a half, the crypt was walled up. When they decided to rebuild the cathedral, the Romanesque style had already given way to the Gothic. Therefore, they began to rebuild it in a new style. So the cathedral turned out to be one of the first buildings of this style. This was perhaps the first example of the construction of a high central nave in architecture, which made it possible to better illuminate the temple.


Crypt of the cathedral

From the outside, the cathedral is a building that can almost entirely be dated back to the 13th century. The Romanesque towers were built with Gothic pointed tops.

Western portal of the cathedral from outside

The western façade has three portals. The sculptures were lost during the religious wars. The tympanum of the left portal is dedicated to the passion of Christ, the right - to the final judgment. During the Hundred Years' War, the northern tower served as a lookout tower.


The western portal of the cathedral from the inside; 13th century stained glass

The most unusual is the southern facade. The tympanum of the canon's portal depicts scenes from the life of the English saint Thomas Becket. This saint was popular in France in the 13th century. Accounts of his life were translated and read. He visited Bayeux during his exile from England. This is how scenes from his life ended up in a French cathedral. There is also a sculpture preserved there, not broken by vandals, and inscriptions on the wall dedicated to the deceased sister of one of the bishops.

The north portal did not exist before. It was only broken through in the 19th century. On this side of the cathedral is adjacent to the chapter library, where documents and books were copied and stored. From the same side, the reverse side of the towers of the western portal is clearly visible.

The high central tower, characteristic of Norman-style buildings, began to be built only in the 14th century. It took a long time to build, was destroyed by fires, changed by “restorations”, and was completed only in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style.

The interior of the cathedral has preserved several interesting places. The lower part of the cathedral is Romanesque. The decor contains elements of the Norman style. In the southern part you can see on bas-reliefs, including the so-called lovers from Bayeux, and a repetition of Harold’s oath from the carpet. On the ceiling of the choir, the first bishops are depicted in medallions.


Lovers from Bayeux

On the wall near the southern portal (canon) are the Annunciation, the Trinity, the Crucifixion and scenes from the life of St. Nicholas - all from the 13th century, and the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket (19th century).

Trinity - above and Annunciation - below (XIII century)

From the life of St. Nicholas (XIII century) - below, The Murder of Thomas Becket (XIX century) - above

At the northern wall there is a treasury (entrance only with a group), where a carpet was kept for centuries, and now there are objects from the 12th-13th centuries (the chasuble of St. Regnobert, a casket of Arabic work, a cabinet with medieval paintings). Near the entrance there is a stained glass window from the 13th century (another one is on the western portal, where the organ is). Behind the north tower there is a passage to the chapter hall (with a group only), where the labyrinth has been preserved. The chapels on this side are connected to the library, the bishop's palace.

If you leave the cathedral through the western portal, turn left and walk along the street along the southern facade and further, crossing the Or, you will come to the former seminary William the Conqueror Center. The Bayeux Tapestry or Queen Matilda's carpet is there today. There are signs all over the city to the Carpet Museum. The museum occupies 2 floors. The top one is the history of the creation of the carpet, and below, in the semi-darkness, under glass there is this miracle, about which below. At the entrance they provide audio guides in 14 languages, incl. in Russian. The tour along the carpet takes approximately 1 hour. The maximum cost of a visit now is 9 euros, students and schoolchildren over 10 years old - 4 euros.

Or River

Some call this object a "carpet", some a "tapestry", but in reality it is embroidery. I can’t wrap my head around some details: how was it possible to preserve this tapestry carpet for almost 1000 years, how many people embroidered it (and its length is amazing), why did this miracle end up on the UNESCO World Heritage List only in 2007?

The carpet (we will call it that because it is called tapisserie) was embroidered immediately after the Battle of Hastings. There are two supposed customers (since at all times such work was carried out to order): Duchess-Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, and Bishop Odon, his half-brother. The second version seems more realistic to many for many reasons. Bishop Odon was himself a participant in the Battle of Hastings. After the conquest he took possession of lands in Kent, and the style of embroidery which has long been studied is south-east Anglo-Saxon. The carpet depicts three close bishops. He stood at the head of the Bishopric of Bayeux for a long time (from 1049 to 1097), and on his order they began to build the Cathedral of Our Lady. The carpet depicts a scene of an oath on relics from Bayeux Cathedral. The carpet was kept for many centuries in the Cathedral of Our Lady of this town, from where it was taken out “for public viewing” once a year in July on the occasion of the Feast of Relics (i.e., it was a story in pictures about the conquest of England by William for illiterate parishioners).

Bishop Odon participates in the Battle of Hastings

Now I will present the figures related to embroidery. The carpet is embroidered on linen, threads of 8 colors are used. Width - about 50 cm, length - about 70 m. The carpet includes 58 scenes. It is believed that over almost 1000 years, 2 scenes have been lost (possibly William's entry into London, his coronation in Westminster, the construction of the Tower). The carpet depicts in full detail the events that took place from 1064 to 1066. More than 600 people, 200 horses, 50 dogs, 30 buildings, 40 ships were embroidered, the total number of subjects is more than 1500. After studying the embroidery, we came to the conclusion that the carpet was made by two (!) embroiderers in 2 years. At the top there is a brief summary of embroidered events in Latin. The embroidery shows tools, hairstyles, clothes of the 11th century, real events (the appearance of Halley's comet), mythological creatures from stories known at that time (fables, ancient myths). The historical events depicted on the carpet were told by contemporaries (Guillaume of Poitiers and Guillaume of Jumièges); a century later they were supplemented by two more authors, i.e. The embroidery is documented to be correct.

Halley's Comet was visible during Harold's coronation

Whoever and wherever the carpet was embroidered, it was made to prove the legitimacy of William's conquest of England. It is a story about the triumph of good over evil, because Harold first swore an oath of allegiance to William as his overlord, and then broke it, for which he was punished by dying during the Battle of Hastings.

A few words about the characters on the carpet and the events that happened before those embroidered on it. I talked about Wilhelm in the previous part. Edward the Confessor was the son of one of the Norman duchesses (his mother Emma was the sister of William's grandfather). After the murder of her first Anglo-Saxon husband, she married his murderer, the Dane Cnut. After which Edward hid for many years with relatives in Normandy. Harold was the brother-in-law of the English king Edward the Confessor (who was married to his sister), and came from a wealthy Anglo-Saxon family in Wessex. Thus, William was the heir by blood of the English king. Harold was supported by the Anglo-Saxon nobility, who elected him king after the death of Edward.

Edward the Confessor

The story begins in 1064, when Harold goes to William to convey Edward the Confessor's desire to make him heir to the English throne. There is a version that he was going to Normandy to ransom his brother, who had been taken hostage. During a storm, he ends up in a different place than he planned. He is taken prisoner. William ransoms Harold from captivity. He lives in Normandy, participates in William’s campaigns in Brittany. This is followed by a scene of the vassal oath on the relics of the cathedral at Bayeux.

Harold takes his oath on the relics of Notre Dame Cathedral

Then Harold returns to England. Two years later, the childless Edward dies. Harold is crowned. Wilhelm becomes aware of events in England. He equips a fleet and sails to England to receive his inheritance. Since in those days, perjury was a serious sin, it was supported by the Pope, and many European mercenaries joined the army.

During the Battle of Hastings, William was presumed killed. He opens his visor to show that he is alive

What follows is the story of the Battle of Hastings, when Harold is killed. For a long time it was believed that he died from an arrow that hit his right eye. But there is a version that his brother died from an arrow, and Harold was killed with a sword. All this, like in a comic book, is told on the carpet. And this comic can be looked at endlessly without getting boring.

Harold killed by an arrow

The first written mention of a carpet dates back to the 15th century. During the religious wars it was hidden. Scientists became interested in the carpet only in the 17th century. Until the 18th century, it was kept in the treasury of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Bayeux. During the revolution, when churches were closed, the carpet was almost cut into pieces for packaging exported valuables. Fortunately, lawyer Lambert-Leforestier intervened. Napoleon then took the carpet to Paris, where it became a means of promoting his idea of ​​a second conquest of the British Isles. The carpet was then exhibited to the public in the Louvre. When the conquest did not happen, the carpet was returned. In the 19th century a copy is made from it for England. During World War II, the carpet is kept in one of the castles, where German scientists study it. Then he is transported to the Louvre for an exhibition of primitive art, from where they plan to take him to Germany, but do not have time. The carpet returned to Bayeux in 1945, where it remains to this day.

In the city you can also see the art museum of Baron Gerard (in part of the former bishop's palace, the rest is occupied by the city hall); nearby on the square The Liberty Tree, planted during the revolution, grows; the British War Cemetery, the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum and the memorial dedicated to journalists killed since 1944 (on the Circular Boulevard). The oldest churches are dedicated to the first bishops: St. Exuperia (in the east of the city, bishops were buried here), St. Vigor, St. Patrick. The city has preserved half-timbered houses from the 14th to 16th centuries and mansions from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Liberty Tree

The art of bobbin lace making and porcelain production developed in Bayeux.

Every year on the first weekend in July, a medieval festival is held in the town.