The Story from the Other Side
This November, the National Library of Wales will open Normans: The Welsh Perspective, a major international exhibition exploring Wales at a pivotal moment in its history.
The exhibition forms part of a landmark partnership between organisations in Wales, Ireland, England and France, contributing to a wider European programme marking the millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror in 2027. As institutions across Europe reflect on the legacy of William and the Norman world, this exhibition offers a distinctive Welsh perspective on a story more often told through the eyes of the conquerors.
For the first time in almost a thousand years, three remarkable manuscripts created in the famous Llanbadarn Fawr scriptorium, just outside Aberystwyth, will be reunited and displayed together at the National Library of Wales. Created during a period of conflict and profound political change, these manuscripts are being reunited today through collaboration between libraries and cultural institutions across Europe. Their coming together highlights the enduring value of partnership in protecting, sharing and interpreting our common heritage.
Together, the manuscripts and treasures on display tell a story that stretches far beyond Wales. Reunited in Aberystwyth, they reveal the cultural and intellectual connections that linked Wales with centres of learning across medieval Europe. Their temporary reunion demonstrates how ideas, texts and learning travelled across borders, creating networks that transcended kingdoms and continue to form part of our shared European heritage.
Their return offers a rare opportunity to explore the work of Sulien, his sons and the scholars who established Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth as one of the most important centres of learning in medieval Wales.
The exhibition will bring together:
These manuscripts will be displayed alongside Vitae Sanctorum Wallensium, containing Rhygyfarch ap Sulien’s Life of St David, and some of the National Library of Wales’ most important medieval treasures, including the Book of Taliesin.
This is one of the most significant medieval exhibitions ever presented by the National Library of Wales. It brings international treasures back to Wales and offers a rare opportunity to explore the Norman Conquest from a perspective that has too often been overlooked. Rather than focusing solely on conquest, the exhibition reveals a story of resilience, creativity and learning.
Through the work of Sulien, his family and the scholars of Llanbadarn Fawr, visitors will discover how Welsh culture, literature and learning continued to flourish during a transformative period in European history, offering a fresh understanding of Wales’ place in the medieval world.
Normans: The Welsh Perspective runs at the National Library of Wales from 20 November 2026 to 20 March 2027.
It will be followed by Arthur: From Wales to the World, opening in April 2027. Tracing the journeys of monks, writers and pilgrims, the exhibition will explore how the legend of Arthur travelled from its Welsh origins to become one of the most influential stories in European literature and culture.