A very special exhibition is coming to the Collège des Bernardins close to our hotels – fifteen large-format tapestries and carpets adapted from original drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

The pieces on show were made over the course of seven years, and it’s the first time they have been shown anywhere outside of the Cité internationale de la Tapisserie (International City of Tapestry) in Aubusson (about 400km south of Paris). Plus, the exhibition is free!

Here’s all the info…

Tolkien fans shouldn’t miss this – drawings from his books have been transformed into huge tapestries and are now being shown at the Collège des Bernardins to celebrate 70 years since Lord of the Rings was first published.

This extraordinary endeavour was made reality by the clever craftspeople at Aubusson, the national centre for the art of tapestry, and as this is the first time the collection has been shown outside of their walls, it’s quite the event.

The images that are now tapestries are taken from four of the author’s books – The Father Christmas Letters, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion – and the project required seven year of intricate work to adapt the watercolours and drawings, find the correct selection of coulours and then delicately weave each piece on an 8-metre long loom. The Cité internationale de la tapisserie is probably the only place in the world that could do such work.

In addition to the tapestries (and one rug), some of Tolkien’s personal items are also on display, including a toga wore, a silver cigarette case with his signature on it and dozens of books form his personal collection.

An impressive number of events are also being organised to coincide with the exhibition:

— a full reading of the French version of The Silmarillion during the night of the 22nd March,
— a silent dinner(!) on 26th March with a menu inspired by Hobbiton (60€ per person),
— an 11-hour showing of the three Lord of the Rings movies (th short versions, thankfully, in English) on 24th April from 1pm-midnight (24€),
— three conferences: 24th March (Tolkien and Nature), 3rd April (Tolkien and man) and 24th April (Tolkien and Mystery),
— a Middle Earth music festival on 4th & 5th April, with a number of concerts, including one with the Republican Guard Symphonic Orchestra (information here),
— a philosophy banquet entitled Masks Off! on 29th March from 4.30-6pm…

A catalogue in English (yay!) (111 pages, 27€) is also available, detailing the project from start to finish, seven years of work that occupied six workshops and over a thirty craftspeople.

You’ll find it here at your local Amazon.

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The exhibition Aubusson tisse Tolkien (Aubusson weaves Tolkien) is at the Collège des Bernardins (here) from 21st March – 18th May 2025

Open every day except Sundays from 10am-6pm18h

Free! But you must book online here

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