Tapisserie de Bayeux : taillée sur mesure | Actu de science

• Who commissioned the tapestry • Place of manufacture: France or England • Original exhibition destination

This visual story recounts the Norman conquest of England and continues to raise many questions among historians.

The tapestry has been documented in Bayeux Cathedral since at least the 15th century.

Until now, it was unknown whether the tapestry had been consecrated to Bayeux Cathedral.

The tapestry was in fact created specifically for Bayeux Cathedral.

• Christopher Norton is a historian at the University of York in the United Kingdom • He examined the tapestry closely for 20 years • He discovered it was composed of two pieces of fabric of identical size

Thanks to this discovery, he was able to calculate the tapestry's original length, which corresponds perfectly to the three contiguous sides of the cathedral's nave.

The tapestry is incomplete and its exact dimensions have been unknown since its creation in 1077.

Today, the tapestry is presented to visitors in the museum of the same name in Normandy, arranged in a U-shaped tunnel.

Christopher Norton would like to recreate the tapestry's original layout in a rectangular room built to specifications.

The tapestry is to be loaned to Great Britain in 2022, offering an opportunity for this reconstruction.

The reorganization would allow visitors to see the tapestry in its original architectural configuration, as it was intended to be viewed in the cathedral.