Bayeux tapestry in France for two years closed for visitors

Bayeux tapestry in France for two years closed for visitors

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The spectacular BayeUx carpeting work of art

from Picasso's "Guernica" to Goya's "warrior" there are many famous representations of conflicts, but one of the oldest and most extraordinary works is the Bayeux carpet from the 11th century in France. On over 70 meters long and 70 centimeter wide canvas (about 224 feet of 2 inches), he tells the history of the conquest of England in 1066 - the last successful attack on the country through an enemy stranger - under the leadership of Wilhelm, Duke of Normandy, also known as Wilhelm the conqueror.

The origin of the masterpiece

The creators of this medieval masterpiece are unknown, but it is assumed that at the request of Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux and Wilhelm's half-brother, was commissioned to decorate the nave of the new Kathedral Notre-Dame from Bayeux, which was consecrated in 1077.

The carpet in the Grand Séminaire of Bayeux has been exhibited in northwestern France since 1983, part of the Bayeux Museum complex, which also includes the museum for the fights of Normandy and the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History

Important renovation work is on

Visitors who want to see this legendary work of art should plan your visit before 7 p.m. local time on August 31, 2025, as the museum will close for extensive renovation and preserving work by October 2027. The reopening will take place in time for the millennium of Wilhelm's birthday.

a new home for the Bayeux carpet

A new extension of the Grand Séminaire designed by the British architectural company RSHP, will absorb the carpet and double the exhibition space. The 38 million euros ($ 36 million) will be headed by the city of Bayeux, in cooperation with the French state-the owner of the carpet-as well as the department of Calvados and the regional council of Normandy.

"In terms of economic and cultural influence, this is the most complex and ambitious project that has ever been carried out by the city of BayeUx," said Patrick Gomont, Mayor of Bayeux, in a press release.

protection and preservation of the carpet

As before, the carpet is kept in a hermetically sealed room to protect it from atmospheric contamination as well as light and climate variations. It is now being issued on a special inclined support that meets the preserving needs of the almost thousand -year -old and fragile textile. In 2024, almost 600,000 people visited the Bayeux Museums, with the majority of international visitors from the United Kingdom or the United States.

A look at the story

The people who flocked to the carpet for the first time in the 11th century were largely illiterate. Narrative wall carpets with a mixture of pictures and texts were a way to tell stories that everyone could understand. The best -known scene of the embroidery - which is technically not a carpet - shows Harold, the last Anglo -Saxon king of England, who is killed in the battle of Hastings by an arrow. Other outstanding moments include a representation of the comet Halley , which is shown six centuries before the birth of the English astronomer Edmond Halley, after which he was named.

challenges of conservation

It is not surprising that the preservation of the fabric, which is made with 10 colors made of vegetable -colored wool, is not a simple task. "During the times when the museum is closed to the public, the presentation stand of the artwork could be moved to the premises and transform into a real laboratory," said Antoine Verney, chief curator of the Bayeux Museums, in a press release. "Photos could be taken, surveillance and studies and a demanding restoration program could be implemented, which is monitored by the French state, the owner of the artwork and is intended to stabilize the damage to the embroidered canvas."

The original colors have changed remarkably little over the years, but the work on the restoration in the 19th century, especially the heavily restored last sections, is very faded.

A look into the future

The work for removal and restoration begins in January 2025 with the careful cleaning of the canvas and the removal of the wool from the back, a supplement from 1983.

The Bayeux carpet is not the only popular French attraction that is temporarily closed this year. The Center Pompidou in Paris, the cultural center with its groundbreaking Inside-out construction, will close from late summer 2025 for five years.

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