A tumultuous 1,300-year history has made this UNESCO World Heritage Site one of France’s stellar attractions
After the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, Mont Saint-Michel is probably one of the most identifiable landmarks in France. Forming a tower at its apex, the island sanctuary is a compelling vision even from a distance as it comes into view as you traverse the farmlands of Normandy. But seeing it in its full glory, a medieval town and abbey floating in the middle of an immense, sparkling bay, is an experience that will simply take your breath away. It is no wonder that both the rocky islet sanctuary and the surrounding waters that form its ever-changing seascape are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites; and over 60 of its buildings are protected as monuments historiques. The site is also listed as part of the Camino Frances or French Way, the most famous of all the pilgrimage routes to the famed Santiago de Compostela, in Northern Spain.
However, this distinction, aside from being one of the most visited attractions in the country, did not come easily. Before the construction of causeway bridge, the island was very difficult to reach because of quicksand and fast-rising tides. The Bay of Saint-Michel has the largest tidal range in continental Europe causing the seawaters to withdraw as far as 25 kilometres. from the shore then quickly rush back “at the pace of a galloping horse” after low tide. Its original name, in fact, was Mont Tombe (meaning “grave” in Latin or tum, a “raised place”). It was only in the 8th century that it received its present name when St. Aubert, bishop of the nearby hilltop town of Avranches, built a church there after having a vision of the archangel St Michael. Supposedly, he had many recurring dreams but did not act on them because who would think of building anything in such a dangerous, inhospitable location? It was only after his last dream when the archangel burned a hole on his forehead did he proceed to construction.
From 966 onwards, the dukes of Normandy, followed by French kings, supported the development of a major Benedictine abbey on the island. Aside from becoming a major pilgrimage site in the Christian West, the Mont became one of the centres of medieval culture and learning, attracting some of the greatest minds and illuminators in Europe, earning it the nickname “City of the Books.” It was also visited by the kings of France and England.
The monks stayed on the Mont for over 800 years during which the architecture of the monastery evolved thanks to different generations of builders who defied the inhospitable site to create a work of undisputed artistic and technical mastery reflecting various periods and styles. William of Volpiano, the Italian architect who built Fécamo Abbey in Normandy, designed the Romanesque church of the abbey in the 11th century, boldly placing the transept crossing at the top of the mount. To achieve this, many underground chapels and crypts had to be built to compensate for the weight, forming the base for the upward structure seen today. The 13th Century builders, on the other hand, created a masterpiece of Norman Gothic art with the creation of the Merveille (marvel) building which is considered the jewel in the crown of the abbey’s architecture, consisting of three layered levels supported by 16 powerful buttresses.