Bayeux Cathedral in Bayeux, France

Bayeux Cathedral, known as Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux in French, is located in the town of Bayeux. The Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Bayeux and is a national monument of France.

The Cathedral was built in the Norman-Romanesque style and was consecrated on 14 July 1077. William, Duke of Normandy and King of England (also more polularly known as William the Conqueror), was present at the consecration.

It is believed that on this site William the Conqueror forced Harold Godwinson to take an oath to support William's claim to the English throne. On 5 January 1066, Harold was crowned King of England, breaking his oath, which led to the Norman conquest of England.

The Cathedral was the original home of Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth rather than a tapestry, which shows the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and the invasion itself. The tapestry is 0.5 metres high by 68.38 metres long. The tapestry is now exhibited in a museum in Bayeux, the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux. There is also a replica, created in the Victorian era, which is shown in Reading, England.

The site of the cathedral is known to be an ancient religious site and had previously been occupied by Roman sancturies.

Bayeux Cathedral, Bayeux, France
by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of the Cathedral in Bayeux, France, which was taken towards the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of the LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-04934).

Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the collection of products featuring this beautiful vintage photochrom of Bayeux Cathedral.

Vintage Cannes Harbour, French Riviera

Cannes, pronounced as kan in French, is arguably one of the most famous cities on the French Riviera. It is well-known for its annual Cannes Film Festival and is a popular tourist desitnation.

The Harbour at Cannes, France
by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of the harbour in Cannes, France, which was taken towards the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-05921).

Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the rnage of products featuring this beautiful vintage photochrom of the harbour at Cannes on the French Riveriera in France.

The Mars Gate, Reims, France

The Mars Gate, otherwise known as the Porte de Mars in French, is a triumpham arch in Reims. It has three archways flanked by columns and is 108 feet in length by 43 feet in height.

The Mars Gate is the oldest monument in Reims (previously named Rheims) and was one of four Roman gates to the city walls. It is believed that the gates were restored in the 9th century at the time of the Norman invasion of northern France. It was named after a nearby temple dedicated to Mars.

A popular legend is that Remi, a Belgic tribe of the north-eastern Gaul in the 1st century BC, constructed the gate in honour of Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus) when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa made the great roads. However, it is believed that the Mars Gate belongs to the 3rd or 4th century.

The Mars Gate Print
by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of the Mars Gate in Rheims, France, which was taken at the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-05340). Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the range of products featuring this vintage photochrom of the Mars Gate.

Lourdes, Pyrenees - City and Castle

Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Hautes-Pyrenees area in the Midi-Pyrenees region in south-western France. Up until 1858, Lourdes was a quiet, county-town with a population of approximately 4,000 people.

On 11 February 1858, a 14-year-old local girl, Bernadette Soubirous, said that a beautiful lady appeared to her in the remote Grotto of Massabielle. The lady appeared 18 times and identified herself as "the Immaculate Conception" and many believe she is the Blessed Virgin Mary.

By 1859, only a year following the apparitions, thousands of pilgrims were visiting Lourdes. Since then, Lourdes has become a major place of pilgrimage for Roman Catholics and there has been a number of alleged miraculous healings (The Roman Catholic Church has officially recognied 67 healings which occurred at Lourdes).

Lourdes current population is approximately 15,000 but it is estimated that it has 5 million visitors each season (from March to October). It has also been estimated that there has been approximately 200 million pilgrimages to Lourdes since 1860.

Lourdes, Pyrenees - City and Castle

by OldeWorldGifts

Photograph of Lourdes, situated in the Pyrenees in France, which was taken at the end of the 19th century. The photograph shows the city of Lourdes and castle, with the mountains in the background. Photograph courtesy LOC LC-DIG-ppmsc-05301. Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the full range of products available with this picturesque photochrom of Lourdes.