Show normandy site of many wars battlejr battleground Batt aund for foreign armies invading europe for nine centuries LONDON because of its geography normandy has been the battleground for armies invading the continent co ent for more than nine centuries before L fore that the area was under constant threat of attack by raiding parties of vikings and scandinavian marauders bayeux and caen norman towns the scene of the first fierce fighting between allied and german forces also have been trampled by foreign armies many times in past centuries bayeux is the home of the world famous tapestry a venerable relic now light brown with age on an which the conquest of england englan by the norman willlam william the C conqueror 0 n is pictured the town 18 miles west of caen and five miles from the english channel was built by the romans fell to english armies in the area was invaded by scandinavians later bayeux tell fell many times to english armies during the years war and the religious wars of the lath century bayeux is filled with many quaint timbered houses and stone mansions the bayeux tapestry is a band of linen feet long and 20 inches wide its scenes of the norman conquest of 1068 1066 are in eight colors on the tapestry is the first recorded evidence of the famed balleys Hal leys comet which appeared at that time and was regarded as an omen of evil caen 7 miles from the english channel and miles northwest of paris where allied tanks were reported to have repulsed a large scale counterattack by german armor was once the home of william the conqueror the castle of caen founded by william still Is employed as a troop barracks st pierre cains famous gothic cathedral also was founded by the conqueror in 1070 until his bones bone were dispersed he was buried there la another cathedral in caen was founded by matilda caen was first conquered by the english in 1417 in caen william organized the main division of his troops that crossed the channel to conquer england tapestries to paris it was not expected that allied troops would find a famous work of art in bayeux according to erich maclagan director of the victoria and albert museum of london and an authority on bayeux tapestry three years ago the germans were reported to have taken all bayeux exhibits to paris for display for or propaganda reasons in 1804 napoleon who then was contemplating the invasion of britain took bayeux tapestries to paris for similar purposes |