The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter medieval artwork depicting the Norman conquest of England, will be displayed at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027 for the first time in 900 years. This exhibition was announced during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. The tapestry, currently housed in Bayeux, Normandy, is undergoing renovations at its museum, scheduled to reopen in 2027.
The tapestry narrates the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion, beginning with King Edward the Confessor and Harold Godwinson, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxons. It comprises 58 scenes, featuring over 600 characters and 202 horses, and illustrates medieval life, including battles, ship fleets, and architecture.
Commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux shortly after the events depicted, it was stored for centuries and was first publicly displayed in 1812. The tapestry was hidden during World War II to protect it from the Nazis, later ending up in the Louvre.
A full-size replica is currently on view at the Reading Museum, notable for lacking certain explicit details present in the original. Despite its artistic value, the tapestry contains numerous depictions of male genitals, highlighted by historians as a reflection of machismo in medieval times.
