Cathedrale Notre Dame, Bayeux

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Located not far from the Tapestry Museum is the impressive Cathedrale Notre Dame.

Dating from the 13th century its spectacular Norman Gothic architecture made sure we didn't miss when we drove into town. The tall central tower was added in the 15th Century.

The inside of the Cathedral is serene and has some beautiful stained glass windows. Make sure you stick your head in and take a moment for quiet reflection.

Free admission

One of the finest cathedrals in France, NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL is a Norman Gothic building begun in the Romanesque period. The two 11th century towers are 75 metres high. The Bishop's throne dates from 1681. The organ was rebuilt in 1771 and is situated above the main entrance.

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The beautiful cathedral of Notre Dame is one of the most beautiful of Normandie. The cathedral was built in 1077 in a Romanesque style. It was referred in Gothic style in the thirteenth and fourteenth century after the fire of the 1105 .
The tower of the cruise was built in Gothic style in the fifteenth century while the dome in copper was made around the 1860.

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The beautiful facade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame is lower down formed with 5 arcades with 3 portals. The two side portals have the fanlight in the eardrum and small arcs adorned by reliefs and statues. To the sides of the facade there are two Romanesque towers strengthened by tapered buttresses and crowned by a Gothic steeples tall 75 meters.

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The tall paty of the cathedral is built in Gothic style and there are great windows. The choir to three orders of arcades is built in pure Gothic style. In the ambulatory there are frescos of the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Very nice are the stained windows.

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The cattedrla of Notre Dame is wonderful: it is 102 meters long and 22 meters tall. The inside is formed from three aisles with transept, choir and ambulatory. The Romanesque arcades of the median aisle have a beautiful geometric decoration with bas-reliefs with fantastic motives.

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The famous Bayeux Tapestry was originally displayed inside this cathedral. It has since been moved to a museum of its very own nearby. The cathedral, the tapestry, the old town and the market on market days are things you should not miss in Bayeux. I love the water wheel in summer when it's covered with flowers. It is interesting in Fall and Winter, but it looks spectacular with flowers.

When in the cathedral, be sure to go down into the crypt. It is covered with wonderful frescoes. Once we were fortunate enough to be visiting the crypt while a lone woman was singing the Offices very quietly all during our visit. That was magical. It is also fun to tour the cathedral when the organist is practicing and if you visit on a Saturday, you may see a wedding.

Do visit the web site below. The Friends of Bayeux Cathedral have one of the best interactive web sites I've seen and the photos are stunning.

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The construction of a Romanesque Cathédrale de Notre-Dame started in 1077, but that church was destroyed during the siege of Henri 1st of England in 1105. So, a new building was erected between the 12th and the 14th century in Gothic style.
Only the crypt (12th century) and the bell towers remain from the original church, although the towers have Gothic steeples. The tower of the cross is flaming Gothic and dates back to the 15th century, but it has a 19th-century copper steeple.
I suppose that the façade was being restored in 2001, as we haven't got any photo of it, but only of the towers and the apse.

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The inside of the cathedral is worth visiting for the central nave of the 12th century, decorated with Byzantine and Nordic elements (see the second and the third pics). The high part of the church is pure Gothic with a matroneum below the windows (fourth pic), that is typical of Normandie. You should also admire the choir and the three-aisle 12th-century crypt.

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A Norman-Romanesque cathedral started in the 11th century but mainly built in the 13th, surprised us in Bayeux.

We were so concentrated in WW2 remains and so short in time, that we didn't even enter it.

Later on, I read something about an important tapestry that...

I knew! We must read before going anywhere!