Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

in northwestern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Bayeux is the home of the

Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...

, which depicts the events leading up to the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

of England in 1066. It is also known as the first major town secured by the Allies during

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

after D-Day.

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

made two famous speeches in this town.

Administration

Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados. It is the seat of the

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, and certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissem ...

of Bayeux and of the canton of Bayeux.

Geography

Bayeux is located from the coast of the English Channel and north-west of

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

. The city, with elevations varying from

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

– with an average of – is bisected by the River Aure. Bayeux is located at the crossroads of RN 13 and the train route Paris-Caen-

Cherbourg Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...

. The city is the capital of the

Bessin Bessin () is an area in Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Norman ...

, which extends north-west of Calvados. Bayeux station has rail connections to Caen, Cherbourg, Granville and Paris. The river Aure flows through Bayeux, offering panoramic views from a number of locations. The Aure has a relatively high level of turbidity and the speed of its brownish water is moderate because of the slight slope of the watercourse, although where it is narrow in places like the centre of Bayeux, higher surface speeds are generated. In the centre of Bayeux near the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, pH levels were measured at 8.35 and the electrical conductivity of water was tested at 37 microsiemens per centimetre. Turbidity was measured at 13 centimetres by the Secchi disk method. At this point of reference, flows are generally of the order of . The Bajocian Age in the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

Period of geological time takes its name from the Latinised name of the inhabitants of Bayeux (the Bajocassi).

Etymology

The city was known as Augustodurum in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. It means the ''durum'' (Celtic word ''duro-'' 'door', 'gate', Welsh ', Breton ' 'door', 'gate') dedicated to

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, Roman Emperor. The Celtic word ''duron'', Latinised as ''durum'', was probably used to translate the Latin word '' forum'' (Compare Fréjus ''Forum Julii'', dedicated to Julius (Caesar)). In the Late Empire it took the name of the Celtic tribe who lived here: the ''Bodiocassi'', Latinized in ''Bajocassi'', '' Bajocasses'', and this word explains the place-names Bayeux and

. ''Bodiocassi'' has been compared with Old Irish ' 'with blond locks'.

History

Origins

Founded as a Gallo-Roman settlement in the 1st century BC under the name Augustodurum, Bayeux is the capital of the former territory of the Baiocasses people of Gaul, whose name appears in Pliny's ''Natural History'' (iv.107). Evidence of earlier human occupation of the territory comes from fortified Celtic camps, but there is no evidence of any major pre-existing Celtic town before the organization of Gaul in Roman '' civitates''. Any settlement was more likely confined to scattered Druid huts along the banks of the Aure and Drome rivers or on Mount Phaunus where they worshipped. Cemeteries have been found on the nearby Mount Phaunus indicating the area as a Druid centre. Titus Sabinus, a lieutenant of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, subjected the Bessin region to Roman domination. The 5th-century '' Notitia provinciarum et civitatum Galliae'' mentions Suevi that had been officially settled here ('' laeti''). The town is mentioned by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

, writing in the reign of Antoninus Pius, under the name ''Noemagus Biducassium'' (for ''*Noviomagus Badiocassium'' 'New market of the Badiocassi') and remained so until the time of the Roman Empire. The main street was already the heart of the city. Two baths, under the Church of St. Lawrence and the post office in rue Laitière, and a sculpted head of the goddess Minerva have been found, attesting to the adoption of Roman culture. In 1990 a closer examination of huge blocks discovered in the cathedral in the 19th century indicated the presence of an old Roman building. Bayeux was built on a crossroads between Lisieux and Valognes, developing first on the west bank of the river. By the end of the 3rd century a walled enclosure surrounded the city and remained until it was removed in the 18th century. Its layout is still visible and can be followed today. The citadel of the city was located in the southwest corner, and the cathedral in the southeast. An important city in Normandy, Bayeux was part of the coastal defence of the Roman Empire against the pirates of the region, and a Roman legion was stationed there.

Middle Ages

The city was largely destroyed during the Viking raids of the late 9th century but was rebuilt in the early 10th century under the reign of Bothon. In the middle of the 10th century Bayeux was controlled by Hagrold, a pagan Viking who defended the city against the Franks. The 12th-century poet Benoît de Saint-Maure, in his verse history of the dukes of Normandy, remarked on the "Danish" commonly spoken at Bayeux in the 10th century. The 11th century saw the creation of five villages beyond the walls to the northeast, evidence of its growth during Ducal Normandy.

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

's half brother Odo of Bayeux completed the cathedral in the city and it was dedicated in 1077. However the city began to lose prominence when William placed his capital at

. When King

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

defeated his brother Robert Curthose for the rule of Normandy, the city was burned to set an example to the rest of the duchy. Under Richard the Lionheart, Bayeux was wealthy enough to purchase a

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...

. From the end of Richard's reign to the end of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, Bayeux was repeatedly pillaged until

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...

captured the city in 1417. After the Battle of Formigny,

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...

recaptured the city and granted a general amnesty to its populace in 1450. The capture of Bayeux heralded a return to prosperity as new families replaced those decimated by war, and they built some 60 mansions scattered throughout the city, with stone supplanting wood.

Post-medieval

The area around Bayeux is called the Bessin, which was the bailiwick of the province Normandy until the French Revolution. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Bayeux was the first city of the Battle of Normandy to be liberated on 7 June by British troops of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division with only light resistance. On 16 June 1944 General

made the first of two major speeches in Bayeux in which he made clear that France sided with the Allies. The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched during the Battle of Normandy, the German forces being fully involved in defending

from the Allies. Bayeux nevertheless became an important hub for the allies - military vehicles found difficulty moving through the narrow medieval streets. In late June the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

and Pioneer Corps built a road around the town, the 'Bayeux Bypass' – to facilitate the flow of traffic. The Bayeux War Cemetery with its memorial includes the largest British cemetery dating from the Second World War in France. There are 4,648 graves, including 3,935 British and 466 Germans. Most of those buried there were killed in the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Bayeux-centre-ville

Royal British Legion National, every 5 June at 1530 hrs, attends the 3rd Division Cean Memorial Service and beating retreat ceremony. On 6 June, it holds a remembrance service in Bayeux Cathedral starting at 1015 hrs, and later at 1200 hrs, the Royal British Legion National holds a service of remembrance at the Bayeux Cemetery. All services are open to the public, all Standards RBL, NVA, RN,

ARMY An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, and RAF service and Regimental Associations are welcome to attend and parade. Details can be found a
www.rblsomme.org
Bayeux is also the home of a memorial to all

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

s who have lost their lives while reporting. The memorial was designed by Samuel Craquelin, who is a French architect. The memorial lists the names of 1,889 journalists killed between 1944 and 2007. The memorial was established in conjunction with the organisation

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; ; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its a ...

and is located in Bayeux because of its historic liberation on 7 June 1944. It was inaugurated on 2 May 2007.

Population

The inhabitants of Bayeux are called ''Bayeusains'' or ''Bajocasses'' .

Sights

Bayeux is a major tourist attraction, best known to British and French visitors for the

, made to commemorate events in the

of England in 1066. According to French tradition, the tapestry was made by the attendants of Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror. It was almost certainly designed and stitched in England, as evidenced by its English spellings. It is displayed in a museum in the town centre. The large Norman- Romanesque and Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux, consecrated in 1077, was probably the original home of the tapestry, where William's half-brother Odo of Bayeux (represented on the tapestry wielding a wooden club at the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. It took place appr ...

) would have had it displayed. The Jardin botanique de Bayeux is a local

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

dating from 1864.

Personalities

* Muriel Barbery (born 1965), writer * Berengar II of Neustria (died AD 896), Count of Bayeux * Roger Bésus (1915–1994), sculptor and writer * Frédéric Née (born 1975), footballer * Alain Chartier (1392–1430), politician and poet * Adrien Closmenil (born 2007), racing driver * Pierre Du Bosc (1623–1692), preacher * Franck Dumas (born 1968), footballer and coach Stade Malherbe de Caen * Jean-Léonce Dupont (born 1955), senator and former mayor * Arcisse de Caumont (1801–1873), archaeologist, founded the Societé des Antiquaires de Normandy * François de Caumont (1768–1848), designer and painter * Miss George (1787–1867), actress and mistress of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

* Georges Lenepveu (1857–1923), inventor and master glassmaker * François Gérard (1770–1837), painter and member of Bayeux * Jean Grémillon (1901–1959), film director * Joachim Rupalley (1718–1780) painter * Édouard Lair de Beauvais, (1790–1851), architect * Alfred Lair de Beauvais (1820–1869), organist and composer * Robert Lefèvre (1755–1830), painter * Lionel Lemonchois (born 1960), navigator * Léon Le Cieux (1821–1873), violinist * Damien Letulle (born 1973), Olympic archer * Gabriel-Narcisse Rupalley (1745–1798), painter * Saint Marcouf (died AD 588), saint born in Bayeux, best known for the healing of scrofula * Éric Navet (born 1959), jockey * Poppa of Bayeux, wife of Rollo * Saint Vigor (died AD 537), bishop of Bayeux from 513 to 537, destroyed a pagan temple in Bayeux *

(1028-1087), Duke of Normandy, King of England * Exuperius, (end of 4th century– died c. 410)

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Toulouse. * Alfred-Georges Regner (1902–1987), painter-engraver

International relations

Bayeux is twinned with: * Dorchester in

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

, United Kingdom * Lübbecke, Germany *

Chojnice Chojnice (; or ; or ) is a town in northern Poland with 38,789 inhabitants, as of June 2023, near the Tuchola Forest. It is the capital of the Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Founded in , Chojnice is a former royal city of Poland ...

, Poland *

Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...

, Netherlands *

Voss Voss () is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality and a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages inclu ...

, Norway

Climate

References

External links

Official Web site

Tourist office Web site

Satellite photo on Google Maps

British War Cemetery
File:Bayeux 022 20A.JPG, Near the Centre Guillaume le Conquérant File:03JUL2001 France Bayeux10.jpg, Streets of Bayeux File:Bayeuxcemetery01.jpg, Main entrance to Bayeux War Cemetery File:Bayeuxcemetery02.jpg, The

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth War grave ...

in cemetery File:Liberation memorial plaque in Bayeux.jpg, Liberation memorial plaque in Bayeux {{Authority control Communes of Calvados (department) Subprefectures in France Baiocasses Gallia Lugdunensis