The Angers Apocalypse Tapestry

• A book produced in collaboration with the IRAG (Institute for Research into Engraved Applications), which specialises in audio-tactile installations 
• Pachica paper, used for the engraved plates, is a rare paper imported from Japan
• Uniquely crafted at an affordable price

The fifth title in this unique collection, this new volume, designed for the visually impaired and blind, invites readers to explore, through the touch of their fingertips, the colourful panels of the oldest and largest surviving medieval tapestry, displayed in its Anjou setting.

Following four volumes devoted mainly to architectural structures, this one invites readers to ‘read with their fingers’ a unique masterpiece of medieval art: the Apocalypse Tapestry. Even today, its 103-metre length is dizzying; yet we must remember that it was originally nearly 140 metres long! Commissioned by Duke Louis^Iof Anjou, founder of the Fourth House of Anjou, it was woven at the end of the^14thcentury. Undertaken during a period of great cultural ferment, with immense resources at its disposal, it was completed in seven years – an exceptionally short time for such a work.

The tapestry depicts the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, written by Saint John the Evangelist at the end of the^1stcentury AD, showing the plagues that befall humanity and the struggles between Good and Evil. It concludes with the reassuring image of God’s victory, conveying a powerful message of hope, contrary to what its title might suggest. A true fresco of the medieval era, it also reflects the contemporary upheavals of the time of its creation.

Symbols, divine figures, demons and fantastical creatures appear alongside highly realistic depictions of peasants, soldiers and clergy, all of whom bear witness to the era in which it was conceived.

The book places this ensemble within the imposing setting of Angers Castle, where the tapestry has been on display since 1954, having been returned from the cathedral. It also takes into account the recent restoration work on the royal residence, built in the^15thcentury by King René of Anjou, as well as the southern ramparts.

Take a look behind the scenes at the creation of this unique art book.

2015 Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Craftsmanship

I. Angers at the heart of the region (2 tactile plates)

II. Town map (2 panels)

III. The castle (7 panels)

IV. The tapestry (19 panels)

Catherine Leroiis Head of Audience Engagement and Development at the Château d’Angers.

Hoëlle Corvest, who is blind, is responsible for ensuring accessibility for visitors with visual impairments at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie and the Palais de la Découverte. A specialist in the reproduction of images in relief, she runs workshops on reading tactile images. She is the author of the reading guides for the tactile panels.