The Bayeux Museum is closed for renovations until 2027. In the meantime, the Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027.
The world’s most celebrated embroidery depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066 from an unashamedly Norman perspective. Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother, for the opening of Bayeux’ cathedral in 1077, the well-preserved cartoon strip tells the dramatic, bloody tale with verve and vividness as well as some astonishing artistry. Particularly incredible are its length – nearly 70m – and fine attention to detail.
Fifty-eight action-packed scenes of pageantry and mayhem occupy the center of the work, while religious allegories and illustrations of everyday 11th-century life, some of them bawdy and naughty, adorn the borders. The final showdown at the Battle of Hastings is depicted in graphic fashion, complete with severed limbs and decapitated heads (along the bottom of scene 52). Halley’s Comet, which blazed across the sky in 1066, appears in scene 32.
A 16-minute film gives the conquest historical, political and cultural context, including crucial details on the grooming habits of Norman and Saxon knights. Also well worth a listen is a lucid and highly informative panel-by-panel audioguide plus a special audioguide for kids, both in English.
A joint ticket for admission to the Bayeux Tapestry and the Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie or the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Baron Gérard is €12 (or €15 for all three).
