Tag Archives: Bayeux Cathedral

Back To Bayeux

In several previous posts, I showed you some glimpses of the glorious Bayeux Cathedral, the outside of the Bayeux Tapestry building, and some of the wonderful gargoyles and grotesques on the exterior of the very ornate cathedral.

Today we are just having a bit of a walk around the town itself. It is quite lovely, very walkable size-wise, and is blessed to still have rather a lot of the original architecture since it was less impacted by World War II than most of the Normandy countryside.

 

The charming streets of Bayeux, a very pretty, historic, and walkable town in Normandy, France.

The charming streets of Bayeux, a very pretty, historic, and walkable town in Normandy, France.


 
People walking down a small cobbled street in the shopping district of Bayeux in Normandy, France on a bright and sunny day.

People walking down a small cobbled street in the shopping district of Bayeux in Normandy, France on a bright and sunny day.


 
Looking down a narrow one way street in Bayeux, Normandy, France towards the 11th Century medieval cathedral at the end of the block.

Looking down a narrow one way street in Bayeux, Normandy, France towards the 11th Century medieval cathedral at the end of the block.


 
Close-up details of the upper third of the dark red doors of the Bayeux Cathedral.

Close-up details of the upper third of the dark red doors of the Bayeux Cathedral.


 
A poignant war memorial on a side street in Bayeux, Normandy, France. As a French soldier is shot and begins to fall, the young boy takes the weapon and will carry on.

A poignant war memorial on a side street in Bayeux, Normandy, France. As a French soldier is shot and begins to fall, the young boy takes the weapon and will carry on.


 

Apologies for the return of the slightly larger watermarks again. I discovered several of my images being used on a German website where the person in question posted 3 of my images and claimed that they were his vacation pictures from Paris! Obviously the fact that they were all watermarked (and he cut that part off) and there is a COPYRIGHT notice posted in both my side bar and at the bottom of each page or post made no difference to this man.

After making direct contact with the person and receiving no response, I notified their ISP about their use of my image without payment or attribution. I gave them a link so that they could see that they were indeed my pictures and I told them that I had contacted the person and suggested that they just pay the bill for using the images.

The person in question apparently decided to ignore the issue, even after being contacted by me and by the ISP. So thankfully the ISP stepped in and the man’s site is no longer active. Good! It’s rather scandalous that people continue to troll the internet and use other people’s images as their own — but I am VERY PROACTIVE about pouncing when I discover that sort of blatant theft!

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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
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Stone Cold Ferocious

The stunning Notre Dame de Bayeux or Bayeux Cathedral in the Normandy region of France is a medieval masterpiece with a heavily ornamented exterior.

Amongst the elaborate gargoyles and grotesques that are liberally sprinkled on the surface are these ferocious stone dog-like creatures — forever glaring outward in a sinister manner. Although some of the similarly shaped carvings along the roofline appear to be true gargoyles that transport water into the downspouts, these examples seen below are instead known as grotesques, not gargoyles, and I discovered them on the side of the cathedral closest to the grassy square.

The common interpretation for the usage of this type of imagery is that the ordinary citizen of the medieval world was unlikely to be educated, therefore simple lessons were often told quite effectively ‘in stone’ via images and sculpture. Previous spiritual beliefs in the pre-Christian world embraced the concept of monsters and demons or spirits that could be capriciously good or evil. In the case of these types of ferocious stone carvings, it was believed that they would stand guard over the church and its ‘good people’ and protect them from the intrusion of dark forces.
 

Ferocious stone creature on the side of the Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France


 

Ferocious stone creature on the side of the Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France


 

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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.

Beautiful Bayeux Cathedral

The spires thrust high into the skies over Normandy — asserting themselves proudly over the smaller stone or timber and plaster buildings all around. There are far too many ancient cathedrals and churches to count in France, but this one had a special air about it that broadcast its importance.
 

Bayeux Cathedral -- Notre Dame de Bayeux exterior


 

Ornate roofline and spires of the Bayeux Cathedral


 
The historic Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France is such a beautiful building and has such a wonderful atmosphere that I thought it deserved a separate photo essay of its own. This was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry, now housed in a separate museum a mere few blocks from the cathedral. It was consecrated by William the Conqueror, also known as William, Duke of Normandy and King of England, on the 14th of July 1077 — a mere 11 years after the Norman conquest of England.
 

Heavily detailed exterior of the Bayeux Cathedral


 
This 11th-13th century masterpiece of architecture is astonishingly light and airy inside due to the number of windows which punctuate the deep stone walls. The ornamentation is simply beautiful, so I have included several photos of interesting details.
 

Interior of the Bayeux Cathedral


 

Quatrefoil detail in stone inside the Bayeux Cathedral


 

Ornate details on interior of Bayeux Cathedral


 

The Dragonslayer in a side chapel at the Bayeux Cathedral


 
The crypts have an energy all their own which is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the ‘upstairs’ main church. But occasionally when there are other people down in the crypts, some rather annoyingly ignoring the signs indicating that NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY is to be used, you simply have to wait for a few minutes for the clattering and shuffling in and out to cease.
 

Entry to the crypt from the side aisle of the Bayeux Cathedral


 

Frescos on arches in the crypt of the Bayeux Cathedral


 

Angel fresco on top of a column in the crypt of the Bayeux Cathedral


 
Then, in that tiny space of a moment or two, you can feel the energy shift back to an interesting state of otherworldliness and even the sound of your breath looms large. This is a very popular tourist site, even out of season, so you must purposefully snatch those moments of serenity whenever it is possible.
 

Mark absorbing the brief and fellow-tourist-free serenity of the crypt at Bayeux Cathedral


 
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©Deborah Harmes and ©A Wanderful Life
Please respect the words and images on this page.
All rights reserved.