See also: Notre-Dame

The Notre-Dame cathedral of Bayeux is one of the masterpieces of the Romanesque architecture and Gothic Norman. Located at the supposed site of the forum of the Gallo-Roman city of Augustodurum and replacing a building of time mérovingienne, the current cathedral was devoted on July 14th, 1077 and fact integral part of a remarkably preserved episcopal unit. It is for it that was carried out celebrates it Tapisserie of Bayeux.

The primitive Romance elements of the 11th century still visible nowadays are formed of the crypt (1050-1060) and the turns of the Western solid mass (about 1070-1090). The crypt consists of three arched vessels of edges falling down on capital X mainly decorated with sheets of acchantes. In the crypt two capitals of the 11th century coming from transept crossing are also preserved and put at the days at the time of work of restoration of the central tower. They belong to most remarkable chapitaux historiés Norman of ducal time (1060-1070). The other decorative elements in particular the Fresque S date from the 15th century.

The original Western solid mass is from now on subjacent with the additions of Gothic time. It is at the ground floor of the turns that one perceives best the characteristics of the Romanesque architecture Norman primitive. It is advisable here to note the differences between voûtement ground floor of the southern tower formed of a traditional reinforced of an arc beam and that of the almost hemispherical northern tower and reinforced cradle of two arcs beams crossing perpendicularly.

At the beginning of the 12th century, following the fire of the building in 1105 important work is undertaken which will gradually touch all the parts of the building and which will be prolonged until the end of the 15th century by the crowning of the central tower.

The building site begins towards 1120 - 1130 by the recovery from the typical low parts of the nave of the Norman novel. Belong this cycle the decoration of the large arcades in semicircular arch made up of decorated geometrical reasons for fantastic masks. Above, the mural wall is made up of a vast carpet of geometrical reasons with, in the corner pieces a whole of historiés low-reliefs which find obvious parallels in the reasons for the contemporary scriptoria of the south of England.

The Gothic building site begin with the sides from the nave towards 1180 in a style directly borrowed from the Ile de France. The external walls are eliminated one century later for the progressive construction from the side chapels (towards 1280 - 1350). The Gothic chorus rebuilt towards 1230 is remarkable for its typically Norman elements: very acute gothic arches, profusion of the columns and posts, richness of the decoration made up of medallions, Rosette S or quatrefoils openwork in the corner piece S, vast a Triforium replacing the platforms with the detriment of the high windows. Towards 1245 - 1255 one attends the resumption of the high parts of the Nef, in a bias different with suppression from the Triforium for the bay benefit vast. Lastly, towards 1260 and 1280 is undertaken the recombining of the Transept.

Among the remarkable Gothic elements of the cathedral of Bayeux also appear the Chapter room with its Labyrinthe paved and the Room of the Treasury which preserves a remarkable furniture (ivory box of the 11th century, chasuble known as of Regnobert Saint of the 12th century, cupboard reliquary of the 13th century, episcopal see of the 14th century) whose access is possible under certain conditions.

The Gothic building site is not limited to interior spaces of the cathedral as its appearance proves it in particular its Western frontage, the gate of the southern transept said " doyen" and naturally its central tower.

Being next to the building on its northern side, spreads a space reserved for the clergy of the cathedral, in the center of which the library of the chapter rises, building of the middle of the 15th century which still gathers our number day of invaluable works in an astonishing installation neogothic going back to time restoration.

During the wars of religion, the cathedral was plundered by huguenots in 1562 - 1563 carried out by small noble the François de Bricqueville.