The name Bayeux comes from a Celtic tribe inhabiting the Bajocasses region when the area was first being settled centuries ago. The surrounding area is called Bessin, which was actually the name of the province in the entire region until the French Revolution.
After the Battle of Normandy, which was one of the most infamous battles during the D-Day invasion, Bayeux was the first French town liberated by the allied forces. On June 16th, 1944, Charles de Gaulle made his first major speech in Bayeux in which he made clear that France sided with the Allies. The town was left virtually untouched by the war.
The largest British cemetery in France is located in the Bayeux War Cemetery, which holds bodies of British and German soldiers. There are graves of 3935 British and 466 Germans. Most of these soldiers were killed during the Battle of Normandy.
One of the tourist attractions in Bayeux is the Bayeux Tapestry, created to commemorate the events of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is considered the world's most famous tapestry as it is incredibly large and intricate. The tapestry was made by Reine Mathilde, wife of William the Conqueror, and was said to be have woven in England, perhaps as early as 1077, and brought to Bayeux.
Many well-known and historical figures have come from the town of Bayeux. Famous poet and politician Alain Chartier was born there, as was Robert Lefevre, the renowned nineteenth-century painter. Saint Marcouf, who healed scrofula throughout the sixth century, was born in Bayeux, as was William the Conqueror, who became Duke of Normandy and is most famous for invading England and bringing Norman-French culture to the Anglo-Saxon people.
