The Italian descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate a work of medieval art partly depicting William’s death to a British museum.
The three-slab triptych, believed to have been made by a Norman artist in 1100, has been owned by the Tirelli family, whose aristocratic origins can be traced back to France, for over 400 years.
But it was only last year, when the family hired experts to assess its heirlooms and relics, that the artwork’s historical value was fully understood.
The Latin-inscribed triptych tells the story of Walter Tirel, or Gaultier Tyrrell, who was involved in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and whose son of the same name killed William II, the son of William the Conqueror, after firing an arrow into his lung during a hunting expedition in the New Forest. In the centuries since, historians have debated whether the killing was deliberate or accidental.
The first slab features a group of warriors, led by “Tirelli” and “his brother Hrolfre”, who travelled from the Orkney islands to Normandy and who converted to Christianity along the way.
The painting then recalls the Battle of Hastings and the death of William II, along with his killer’s attempt to seek pardon. The final slab depicts Tirel’s escape from Langham near Colchester to Normandy after the killing.
“This was our ancestor who killed the king,” said Alexandro Tirelli, a representative of the Tirelli foundation.
Other than England, the Normans conquered Wales, Scotland, Ireland and southern Italy.
But they were not big producers of art, hence why the triptych is especially rare.
“The other unbelievable thing is that, while we don’t know who the painter was, experts believe they were completely aware of the Bayeaux tapestry as one of the images was very similar to that, so in some way they were linked,” said Tirelli.
Since having the works assessed, the family has received several offers, one in the region of €3m, from buyers in Saudi Arabia as well as a “very well known” American businessman. The Tirelli family is bound by privacy contracts not to disclose their identities.
“The family really doesn’t care about the money,” said Tirelli, adding it is more important to bring the works back to the places it depicts. “So we would like to find an agreement with a public authority and donate it to a museum in Colchester or Scotland.”
It is unclear when the triptych arrived in Italy, but experts believe it travelled to Guernsey and Gibraltar along the way. The artwork is now stored in Austria.
“I believe its next destination will be the UK,” said Tirelli.