Bayeux Cathedral

A predominantly Gothic cathedral that dominates the skyline of Bayeux. The building dates mainly from the 11th to 13th centuries, with a Romanesque crypt and nave base surviving beneath the Gothic upper structure. The twin west towers are a local landmark, and the interior — long, light, and relatively uncluttered by French cathedral standards — is genuinely impressive.

The cathedral was where the Bayeux Tapestry was originally housed and displayed. Today it stands on its own as one of the finest Norman Gothic buildings in France, worth half an hour even for visitors more focused on the D-Day sites.

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The Bayeux Tapestry was almost certainly displayed in this cathedral's nave on feast days, stretched along the walls for parishioners to read. The cathedral was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror — meaning it was likely shown here within a decade of the Conquest it depicts. For centuries the tapestry was folded and stored in the building's treasury between displays; it was not permanently exhibited elsewhere until 1983.

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