My Cuppa Irish Tea: Mont-Saint-Michel - Grande Rue and The Benedictine Abbey Church

October 31, 2013

When you are driving towards Mont-St-Michel you can see the distant silhouette of this island. I have always wanted to visit here and I knew the children would love the medieval island. Mont-Saint-Michel is pronounced (Mohn Sahn Mee-SHELL) or St. Michael's mount. It is surrounded by a silt-filled bay with extremely strong tides. The island has a thin muddy footpath that connects to the mainland which is covered in high tide. This made it a very dangerous place to visit - many people have drowned in the deadly quicksand and sea over the last thousand years. Today, there is a raised paved causeway to the island, which will soon be replaced by a bridge. However, parts of the parking lot even get flooded at high tide and cars have been swept away. Cars are not allowed on the island so we took a little mini-bus to the end of the causeway from the mainland.

Mont-Saint-Michel is an isolated medieval abbey set atop an island in Normandy, along the English Channel. The history goes back to the 500's when it was used by the British Celts as a stronghold until conquered by the Franks. In 708, Aubert (the Bishop of Avranches) had a sanctuary built on the island in honor of the Archangel Michael. He did this after he heard the voice of St. Michael saying, "Build here and build high…If you build it…they will come." In the 900's, the Benedictine Order moved into the abbey, while a village grew below its walls. The island soon became a major site for Christian pilgrimage, and this was even recorded in the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

By the 1300's there was a tiny little city on the island. This island was also a battleground during the 100-Years War. Since it was surrounded by water it was also a castle and was an example of both military and religious architecture. Its fortification resisted all English attacks. During the religious persecution in 1789, the abbey became a prison until 1863. In 1874 is was made a historic monument and became a tourist site in 1979.

When we walked onto the island there was a fountain informing visitors not to wash their feet in it.

The entrance thru the gate

This starts the islands main street "Grande Rue." Its full of hotels, restaurants, and tacky shops that lead up to the abbey. During the Middle Ages this was also a commercial street with stalls selling souvenirs, candles, and fast food. The island only has 30 full time residents so it lives solely for tourists. The very narrow road goes uphill all the way to the abbey.

We stopped to eat lunch in a tiny little cafe. I had a pinini and a cider. This region in France is famous for their cider. It was yummy! L was happy because she got an American "hot dog" in a roll.

Today's abbey is built on the remains of a Romanesque church, which stands on the remains of a Carolingian church. St. Michael is on the top of the spire, who was the patron saint of many French kings. This is why the abbey was a favored site for French royalty. As you climb the many stairs its hard to imagine the centuries of pilgrims and monks who have worn down the edges of these same stone steps.

We're almost to the top!

The view on our climb to the abbey. This was during low tide. The buildings on the island are all made of granite that came from a quarry 20 miles away. Can you imagine having to bring all that over to the island?

Waiting in line to get into the abbey

Again we tried to tell the kids this was the dungeon but they did not believe us.

K looking at the farmland and all the sheep in the distance!

View of the causeway

The bay stretches from Normandy to Brittany.

The Abbey Church

The spire with St. Michael on the top

Looking down from outside of the Abbey Church

Inside the Abbey Church

This is the inside of the Abbey Church. The monks built the church on the tip of this rock so it would be as close to Heaven as possible. Because of this there was not enough level ground to support the abbey and church. The solution was to build 4 crypts under the church for support. Only a few of the windows are original. Many were victims of fire, storms, lightning, and the Revolution.