Page 251 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

10 BAYEUX TAPESTRY
Bayeux
A lively comic strip of the story
! C2 ⌂ Calvados £ @ of the Norman Invasion of
n Pont-St-Jean; www. England from the partisan
bayeux-bessin-tourisme. perspective of the victor,
com this embroidered hanging
was ordered by Bishop Odo
In 1944, Bayeux was the first of Bayeux, half-brother of
town to be liberated by the William the Conqueror. It is
Allies and was fortunate to fascinating as a work of art, a
escape war damage. Today, portrayal of 11th-century life,
an attractive nucleus of a historical document, an
buildings from the 15th to entertaining yarn and an early
19th centuries remain around example of spin.
its central streets, rue St-Jean
and rue St-Martin, both lined
with shops and cafés. an excellent film, made using 11
Piercing the skyline are the contemporary newsreels.
spires of the fine Cathédrale Other items on display here Côte de Nacre
Notre-Dame. Its crypt, which include vehicles, weapons, and ! C2 ⌂ Calvados k Caen
belonged to an 11th-century equipment used by the British, £ @ Caen, Bayeux g Caen-
predecessor, is decorated American and German forces. Ouistreham n place
with 15th-century frescoes Near the museum is a vast St-Pierre, Caen; www.
of angels playing musical British military cemetery with caenlamer-tourisme.fr
instruments. The original the graves of 4,000 soldiers.
Romanesque church was The stretch of coast between
consecrated in 1077, and it is Centre Guillaume-le- the mouths of the rivers Orne
thought likely that the Bayeux Conquérant-Tapisserie and Vire was dubbed the Côte
tapestry was com missioned de Bayeux de Nacre (Mother-of-Pearl
by one of its key characters, " ⌂ 13 rue de Nesmond Coast) in the 19th century.
Bishop Odo, for this occasion. # Mar–Oct: 9am–6:30pm More recently it has become
The exquisite and intricate daily (to 7pm May–Aug); known as the site of the
70-m- (230-ft-) long tapestry Nov–Feb: 9:30am–12:30pm D-Day landings, when Allied
is displayed in a renovated & 2–6pm daily ¢ Jan, 24–26 troops poured ashore at the
seminary, now the Centre Dec ∑ bayeuxmuseum.com start of Operation Overlord
Guillaume-le-Conquérant- (p248). The cemeteries,
Tapisserie de Bayeux, which Musée Mémorial de la memorials and museums, and
gives a detailed audio-visual Bataille de Normandie the remnants of the Mulberry
explanation of events leading " ⌂ Blvd Fabian-Ware Harbour at Arromanches-les-
up to the Norman conquest. # Mid-Feb–Dec: 10am–6pm Bains, provide focal points.
On the southwest side of daily ¢ Jan ∑ bayeux The coastline is equally
the town, the restored Musée museum.com popular for summer holidays,
Mémorial de la Bataille de with long, sandy beaches and
Normandie traces the events relaxed seaside resorts such
of the Battle of Normandy in as Courseulles-sur-Mer and
World War II, with Luc-sur-Mer.

250-251_EW_France.indd 251 30/01/2019 16:44