(Adnkronos) –
The Bayeux Tapestry exhibition opened this morning at the British Museum in London; the public can now admire this medieval treasure which is generating exceptional enthusiasm in the United Kingdom, gripped by a real “tapestry-mania” for several weeks.
Visitors who managed to secure a ticket for this exhibition event, which has been sold out until December 31, eagerly awaited the opening of the famous museum, which took place at 10 AM (11 AM local time).
Tickets sold out quickly during the first sales phase, which began on July 1st. The next sales phase, scheduled for October 21st, is also likely to be stormed, offering a new opportunity to obtain the precious ticket for 2027.
After being greeted by museum staff in medieval attire, visitors have about forty minutes to admire the famous embroidery, displayed for the first time horizontally and in dim light, accompanied by animations illustrating the main events depicted therein.
French President Emmanuel Macron had announced the loan of this jewel, an initiative already hypothesized twice in the past without materializing: in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and in 1966 for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, which in 1066 sanctioned the victory of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, over English troops.
Nearly 70 meters long, the tapestry arrived in London on July 10 after a high-security transport, necessary to protect an extremely fragile work.
Composed of nine linen panels joined together, the tapestry depicts approximately 626 characters (and 202 horses) divided into 58 scenes embroidered with wool thread. An attendance of up to one million visitors is expected for this exhibition, which is scheduled to conclude on July 11, 2027.
Subsequently, the tapestry will return to Bayeux and, in 2028, will undergo restoration. Its transfer from Normandy had caused strong concern among experts and defenders of French cultural heritage, who feared irreversible deterioration of the work.
