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Any time many people travel to Normandy, a sizable area in northwestern France, frequently they go to visit the site for the D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944. That actually is impressive to view, but there's one more hidden treasure in this area that anyone interested in the past must also take in. It's located in Bayeux, an incredibly charming French town and the second biggest city in that section of Normandy next to Caen. The Bayeux tapestry is definitely an interesting, storyboard representation of William the Conqueror's conquest of England. That this massive work has survived virtually 1000 years nearly undamaged is itself a miracle. It is almost 225 feet long and 1.6 feet high, which demands a visitor to walk through an entire area given it winds its way along. Technically, the Bayeux tapestry is not really technically a tapestry, but rather an embroidered fabric. In the proper tapestry the design will be weaved within the cloth; in this instance it is embroidery. But nonetheless it's always called tapestry, and it is probably the best-recognized one in the world. A lot of the sections tell of the history that leads up to the real Battle of Hastings, considered by historians as among the major events of all time. But it is also true that it is told from the conquering Norman's viewpoint. As we say, those winners write the history, which conflicts quite a lot with what experts actually think took place. The main reason for dispute is the actual legitimacy that William had for targeting England at the time. The explanations depicted within the tapestry do not seem to carry a lot of logic; however we will not go into that at this point. Historians do not know with certainty of the Bayeux tapestry's sources; however we do know that works also called art like these are usually considered beyond price. Happily for us within the Middle Ages it had been well protected, but it suffered from its close calls. In 1792 in the French Revolution it had been seized as public property and used as a covering of wagons by the military services. If not for a local lawyer that rescued and stashed it, it would have in all probability been some forgotten aspect of history. Perhaps the best importance of Bayeux tapestry is that it gives us an observable display of medieval weapons, attire, as well as societal norms of the time period. It isn't taken as being a historically correct story, but looking beyond the political propaganda that it depicts, it is quite fascinating to see. It also demonstrates that political spin has actually been occurring so long as there's been politics. There are so many great areas in Europe for exploring wines, and especially in Italy and around the Mediterranean. Check out http://bestvacationeurope.com/transportation-in-europe/ for inexpensive and hassle-free ways to get around Europe by train. Jim O'Connell is an avid traveler and writer now living in Chicago.
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Bayeux tapestry, Normandy sites, William the Conqueror,
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