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Country: France
Number: 5
Photo: Bayeux (The Covered Fish Market and Old Mill)
Season: Summer (June)
Did you know?
Bayeux was the first major town to be liberated by the Allies. Its liberation was the one of the goals of the British troops (50th Northumbrian Division) landing on Gold beach. By 8:30 pm of June 6th, reconnaissance patrols of the 151st Brigade entered the outskirts of the town and spent the night in the suburb of Saint Sulpice. By noon of June 7th, tanks and soldiers of the 56th Brigade entered the city. German resistance was light as General Kraiss had moved his troops of the 915th Division towards the Cotentin Peninsula where he had reports of American drops. General Kraiss moved German troops back towards Bayeux as the British approached but finally withdrew.
During the liberation of Normandy (and France) many towns suffered major damage. Nearby Caen endured air-raids which started a fire that lasted 11 days. The Germans stubbornly defended their position so on the night of July 8th, 2,500 tons of bombs were dropped on the city. Needless to say the damage was immense and thousands were homeless. Bayeux miraculously was spared this fate and her historic treasuresthe cathedral, the ancient and picturesque buildings and the famous Bayeux tapestry remained in tact. The irreplaceable Bayeux Tapestry had been moved much earlier and was hidden safely in the Chateau de Sourches near Le Mans. Bayeux remains a well-preserved medieval town with narrow streets and picturesque, ancient buildings.
Bayeux is known as the cradle of the Norman dynasty. This town has roots that can be traced back even farther than the Viking invasions. It was called Augustodurum in Gallo-Roman times. In the 4th century it became a bishopric. Rollo the Dane, ancestor to William the Conqueror, married the daughter of the towns ruler in the 10th century, thus creating the line that gave England some of its most notorious kings.
The famous Bayeux Tapestry is in reality an embroidery on a background of linen that measures 230 feet long and 20 inches high. It is a pictorial account (and looks pretty much like a gigantic comic strip) of the events leading up to the military invasion of England led by William, Duke of Normandy. It also depicts 58 scenes including the Battle of Hastings, where English King Harold was defeated, and the crowning of William as King of England in 1066. British people will be quick to point out that that was the last time they were to be conquered by invaders, though famous men such as Napoleon and Hitler tried centuries later.
The tapestry was probably ordered made by the Bishop of Bayeux, Odo, who was Williams half-brother. It was made between 1070 and 1077 in England and was displayed in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Bayeux. How the tapestry survived is a story itself. In 1792, Revolutionary zealots were ransacking through churches and stripping them bare. An army officer noticed the tapestry and used it as a wagon tarpaulin. Napoleon immediately saw its propaganda value and exhibited all over France to gain support for his planned invasion of England.
Additional Information:
Normandy derives its name for the Norsemen who in the 9th century, invaded the area. The most famous Norman of all was William the Bastard, later known as William the Conqueror. He was born in Falaise in 1027 and was the sun of Robert the Devil, Duke of Normandy. After Robert the Devils death, William had to struggle to stake his claim. Under Williams rule as duke in the 11th century, Normandy was the most powerful state from the military viewpoint and the best administered in the Christian world.
In 1066, when William invaded England, it was the greatest invasion fleet and force the world had ever seen. He conquered England which was left to him by his cousin King Edward and reigned over it until his death in 1087. Under King Williams rule in England, the Normans were great builders. They brought over Caen stone and built masterpieces such as the Tower of London and a number of churches, abbeys, and cathedrals which still stand today. William was also able to adapt his excellent Norman administration to suit England.
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