The frozen hearts of fans of the series adapted from the work of George RR Martin should warm up. If winter seems to drag on, like the slogan Winter is coming, and the eight incredible seasons of Game of Thrones have left a taste of ash and blood and an abyssal lack, addicts passing through the Calvados will be able to relive the seasons of the medieval-fantastic saga, via a giant tapestry made in Northern Ireland.
Ireland labeled "Game of Thrones Territory"
The steep Irish landscapes haunt the imagination of a generation who are fans of the series. A tourist manna for a "labeled" country which has already begun to organize tours related to the saga by capitalizing on filming locations. The Irish Tourist Board pays tribute to this monster series with an original work that is now part of the pilgrimage. Since July 2017, 150,000 visitors have already admired a giant tapestry, jewel of the Ulster Museum in Belfast, which will spend a few months near its famous ancestor of Bayeux.
An extraordinary project for a cult series
The tapestry unfolds the 73 episodes of the 8 seasons, 70 hours of episodes, and measures nearly 90 meters (98 yards) long. Seamstresses first assembled the first seven sections - which correspond to the first seven seasons - then the eighth upon the long-awaited denouement and 30 volunteers were responsible, during two years, for putting on the "finishing touches": the blood red in the scene of Les Noces purple, the cold blue of the White walkers, the silver of the hair of Daenerys Targaryen are all essential elements in the iconography of the saga. Sensitive souls abstain: viewing the bloody epic is not recommended for minors.
Reconnecting with the textile tradition of the region
With its linen fabric from the last spinning mill in Northern Ireland, the same one that was used to make the costumes for the series, the background is made on ultra-modern jacquard looms, woven by Thomas Ferguson and Co one of the last linen mills in Northern Ireland. Then the handmade embroidery illuminates and enhances the adventures of fratricidal families and reconnects with the ancestral know-how of the country's linen craftsmanship.
Interweaving with the past and the tapestry of Bayeux, the Norman gem
Its ancestor is part of the UNESCO World Heritage: The Bayeux Tapestry, which dates back to the 11th century and recounts along 70 meters (76 yards) the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and future King of England, inspired this nightmarish tapestry. It is also in Bayeux and it will be an opportunity for the public to follow the thread between fiction and reality and (re) discover the Telle du Conquest (tapestry of conquest), this needlepoint embroidery performed on pieces of bleached linen. A legendary tapestry that tells the glories of the conquest of England + a tapestry tribute to the legend of the seven kingdoms of Westeros = two reasons to run to Bayeux to unfold the thread of history...
From September 13th to December 31st. Free exhibition
Tapestry visible on the website: www.ireland.com
Related reading:
- Norman Rockwell is the very special guest of the Caen Memorial from June 4th to October 27th, 2019
The housing solution in Caen
While in Bayeux, take a break in the city of Caen located just 30 km (19 miles) away. The Smartappart residences welcome you in their furnished and connected apartments, from studios to one-bedrooms. Their prices, discounted starting from two nights, provide an economical alternative to hotels.
