Sat 21 Feb 2004
Mont St. Michel
Posted by Ken Atherton under France
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Today I visited one ofthe most famous non-WWII sites on the coast of France, Mont St. Michel (webcam), an Abbey located on a small island in a bay just off the coast of Normandy where it borders Brittany.
Mont St. Michel has been a religious site, off and on, since the 8th century. The “off’ part was after the French Revolution, when the Abbey was converted into a prison. It stayed that way until 1863, when it became an Abbey again. It’s not clear to me whether there are any monks currently in residence.
It’s a dramatic view, and can be seen from miles away. I was still about ten miles away when I passed by a hotel that had a sign saying the rooms had a view of the abbey. I thought they were kidding (or that I was misreading the French) until I looked the other direction. Sure enough, there it was.
Mont St. Michel rose to prominence when it became a pilgrimage site for people who believed it to be a vision ofthe perfected post-Apocalypse Jerusalem, the city on a hill. To be sure, though, the pilgrims of that time were arriving at a much smailer structure. The abbey has gone through at least 4 major revisions, each time becoming a significantly larger structure, including a number of significant military fortifications that both protected the island, and allowed the island to protect the mainland from attack. In fact, some of the most classic looking elements are actually 20th century additions, including the statue of the Archangel Michael onthe top of the steeple (which itself is part of a late 19th century restoration effort). There is a model inside the abbey showing how the statue was installed using a helicopter.
The Statue of St. Michael on top of the Abbey.
With the story ofthe pilgims in mind, I was stuck by the sight of all ofthe souvenir shops that now line the path leading to the abbey. The pilgrims of old who got this far had already crossed through the bay on foot, and risked their lives in some of the most dangerous and unpredictable tidal currents in Europe.
So I couldn’t help but think the shops along the route today were a little like the moneychangers in the temple. Of course, that didn’t stop me from shopping there.
The being said, I was amazed at the number of visitors to the abbey today. Keep in mind that it is February, it was a dreary day, and less than 45 degrees outside with a 20 mile-an-hour wind blowing steadily. Still, by the time I left, the parking lot was nearly full, and it was getting hard to navigate the narrow streets. I read that nearly 2.5 million people visit the abbey each year.
Remind me not to go back during the summer tourist season.
The abbey itself is an amazingly large but austere affair that is the history of a long struggle with the island. The top of the island actually penetrates the abbey, and on more then one occasion, the island has tried to dislodge the abbey. In fact, one of the crypts contains huge 15-foot-diameter pillars designed to prevent a repeat of the event in the 1400s where one of the chapels collapsed.
But while architecturally impressive, the buildings themselves are rather plain and very dark inside. Of course, it was built by a group of people who spend their time looking inward, not outward, and they chose this site because of its isolation, not because of its natural beauty.
On balance, though, it’s definitely worth the trip. The views are amazing, and the history of the
place makes the visit satisfying.
