FRiet

Dear Fodorites,
This summer I am on an organised trip to Normandy. Of course there is an excursion to Bayeux. But I have a more than average interest in textiles. Master in Textiles and a minor in art history. There is spare time when we are in Caen. My question how much time do I need for a really good visit of the tapestry, so I can plan that in the spare time. Thanks.

Gretchen

I would hope the tour would go there on the tour. I think we spent about 2 hours but it really depends on what you want. There is a slide show and then the real thing to view.

Underhill

Note that the tapestry is actually an embroidery, and take a magnifying glass with you.

bilboburgler

Well you will not be allowed to touch it unless you start contacting them now (even then, unlikely), I think there are odd areas where a magnifiying glass is built into the glass screen, but the light is poor to protect it and of course it has been dragged around, most noticeably during the french revolution, where is was shifted all over on a cart.

Given that the town is walled and very pleasant, even when packed with tourists, I would think a fabric specialist would need at most 2 hours, or even less, but the town, maybe another hour or 2 including food stop.

Mrs Bilbo, a fabric specialist, managed about 1 1/2 hours in the place but she does not get excited by history.

FRiet

Thank you. A good Ida to take a magnifying glass with me. I will see what kind of visit the trip organises, otherwise I can go back on my own.

bvlenci

I was there with an aunt and a cousin; I could have spent a lot longer there than we did, which I think was just a little over an hour. However, I'm very interested in Anglo-Saxon history, and I was familiar with the battle, and the society in which the struggle over the throne took place. I'm not a textile expert, but I would think it would be much more interesting as a historical record than as a textile.

As Underhill says, it's not a tapestry. It's a long strip of linen, on which are embroidered, with wool thread, scenes describing the period leading up to the Battle of Hastings, the battle itself, and the immediate aftermath. The embroidery is skillful and the colors are still vivid.

tomboy

I'm not a fabric person; for example, I can't figure out how knitting works. But I was fascinated by the detail, as well as the history, and spent 1.5 to 2.0 hours looking at it. After all, it's 230 feet long. Had my brother and SIL not been anxiously panting at the exit door, I could have spent more time.

Gretchen

I'm with Tomboy--I was fascinated by it.

Fra_Diavolo

As I recall, before you see the actual tapestry you have the option of walking along a full-size copy of it, which would give you a chance to linger over details and focus on points you want to see in the original.

It's a wonderful work of art and history -- a high point of our visit to Normandy.

kja

If you have time, there's a lace shop on the main square -- locally produced with some museum-quality pieces on display. Or at least there was when I was in Bayeux in 2011!

geetika

Thanks for the tips, we'll be going there this August. To me its the historical aspect which is significant more than the actual fabric, am really looking forward to seeing the "tapestry"...