You have made it to one of the most remarkable examples of medieval architecture in the whole
world.
I welcome you to the magnificent Mont Saint Michel; The Mountain of Saint Michael.
Standing on a rock peak, the church of Mont Saint Michel has a commanding view over the
vast bay.
This bay was however in prehistoric times a part of the coastland.
Over million of years, rising sea levels lead to erosions which tore down and shaped the
coastal landscape.
Some blocks of granite resisted the wear and tear of the ocean better than its surroundings,
which is why Mont-Saint-Michel, together with a few other rocks, is standing tall in an
otherwise flat and ever-changing landscape.
The origin of the Mont Saint Michel dates back to sixth and seventh century, when Armorican
Gauls used the island as a stronghold of Breton culture and power.
During this time the island was known as "Monte Tombe".
After the Romans left Britannia, today's United Kingdom, in mid 5th century, many Britons
crossed the channel due to fear of the increasing Anglo-Saxon influence.
This emigration is the reason why the region is called Bretagne, in English "Brittany"-
"little Britain".
The Monte Tombe served as a stronghold until it was later sacked by the Franks, which ended
the era of Celtic cultural links between Britannia and the region Bretagne.
This site got it current name in 709, when the bishop of Avranches, St. Aubert, ordered
a small church to be build here.
The legend says that the Archangel Saint Michael, leader of the armies of heaven, appeared before
the bishop and instructed him to build the church on this rocky isle.
Today, a golden statue of Saint Michael can bee seen at the top of the church spire, protecting
and overlooking the entire island.
The original church was rather small, but the church and its surroundings grew as time
passed.
Much of this construction was financed by ducal patronage.
After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the church gave its support to duke William
of Normandy in his claim to the English throne.
This resulted in the church gaining both political and financial power to expand the constructions
on Mont Saint Michel.
The church was originally a typical Romanesque church but it to, as many other churches during
the late medieval period, was affected by the wave of Gothic architecture that spread
throughout Europe.
The church is today seen as a Gothic style church.
Throughout the Middle Age, a village grew up around the church, mostly on the eastern
side of the island.
Many of these old buildings are still standing today.
In the 14th century, during the Hundred Years War between France and England, the church
of Mont Saint Michel and its surrounding village were fortified in order to be able to fend
off English attackers.
Much of the walls around the island dates back to this period.
The English did assault the island several times, but were unable to seize it.
The island has ever since its creation been a place of pilgrimage, but its importance
grew during the Middle Age.
For nearly one thousand years, people have traveled to Mont Saint Michel in hope for
salvation.
The land strip between land and the island was called "the path to paradise" and it's
quite easy to understand the fascination people had, and still have, for this place.
Mont Saint Michel stands like a beacon of light in the flat landscape, almost like taken
from a fairytale or a movie.
Its popularity as a centre of pilgrimage did however decrease with the Reformation which
began in early 16th century.
By the time of the French Revolution there were scarcely any monks in residence.
After the revolution, the church was closed and converted into a prison, designed to hold
religious and political enemies to the new regime.
In 1836, influential figures including the popular writer Victor Hugo, launched a campaign
to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure.
This lead to a closure of the prison almost 30 years later and the island was declared
a historic monument in 1874.
While the Mont Saint Michel itself is breathtaking, it is not the only thing this area is known
for.
The other thing is of course the tidewater.
Tidewater is caused by the gravity of the sun and the moon, together with the earth's
rotation.
The tide varies the most shortly after a full moon.
This site you are visiting right now has the highest tides in all of Europe.
The tide varies greatly, roughly 15 meters between high and low water marks.
This area also has some of the fastest moving tides.
During the period when the tides shift the most, the sea pulls back 15 kilometers from
the coast and comes in again very quickly.
As Victor Hugo described it, the water moves "as swiftly as a galloping horse".
Needless to say, it is dangerous to venture alone into the bay.
Mont Saint Michel was the first French site to be added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage
sites in 1979.
It was listed with criteria such as "cultural", "historical", "of architectural significance",
as well as "human-created" and "natural beauty".
It's a clear sign of how special and unique this place really is.
While the site no longer attracts masses of pilgrims, it attracts another type of visitor.
You guessed it; tourists.
The island itself only has a population of around 50, but it is visited by around 3.5
million people each year.
As you now know, Mont Saint Michel has been an important site throughout history, mostly
as a religious site, but also as a military fortification.