the capital of an arrondissement of the same name in the department of Calvados, France. It is situated in a fruitful valley on the river Aure, 17 miles W.N.W. of Caen. The principal building is the cathedral, a majestic edifice of great antiquity, in which is the celebrated tapestry, said to have been the work of Matilda, queen of William the Conqueror, and representing the events connected with the Norman conquest. It is now believed to be an authentic monument of that era; and has been engraved by the Society of English Antiquaries in the 6th volume of Monumenta Vetustorum. Bayeux is the seat of a bishopric, and has tribunals of primary jurisdiction and commerce, a communal college, and a public library. Its manufactures are linen and cotton goods, hosiery, lace, &c. Pop. (1851) 8835. The arrondissement has 6 cantons, 144 communes, and 79,976 inhabitants.