The mont saint-michel
My childhood friend came to visit me in Paris last year. Having been away for a long time, I asked her, “What would you like to do this time that you’ve never done?”
“Mont Saint-Michel!”
And that was how we found ourselves on a bright July morning on our way to the Gare Pontorson - Mont-Saint-Michel where we would take a shuttle to the wondrous hill-island of Mont Saint-Michel.
It’s origins are mystical. In the year 708, the archangel Michael appeared in a dream-vision to Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches, and asked him to build a sanctuary in his name. In 966, a community of Benedictines established itself and built the first church. At the same time, a village began to develop below the Mount to welcome the first pilgrims. The abbey was built between the 11 and the 13th century.
The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) made it necessary to protect Mont Saint-Michel with a series of military constructions that enabled it to withstand a siege of almost 30 years. Mont Saint-Michel became a fortress against the English.
Following the French Revolution, the monks had to abandon the abbey, it became a state prison. From then until 1863, 14,000 prisoners passed through this “Bastille of the Seas”, where tides and quicksand made escape impossible. The families of the prisoners then replaced the pilgrims who once frequented the alleys of the village.
In 1863, following the requests of romantic writers and artists, the prison was closed. The following year, the Service des Monuments Historiques restored the building and opened it to the public. A road dike was built in 1879 to transport the growing number of tourists. The Mont Saint-Michel was no longer an island!
Between 1901 and 1938, a steam tramway linked the town of Pontorson to the Mount.
The site was miraculously spared during the Second World War even though it was occupied by the Germans between 1940 and 1944.
1966 marked the millennium of the abbey’s foundation and the return of a religious community. The brothers and sisters of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem have been providing a permanent spiritual presence since 2001, welcoming pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.
In 1979, UNESCO added Mont Saint-Michel and its bay to its list of World Heritage sites.
As my friend and I climbed the hilly streets, (no escape from the touristy stores and restaurants, I’m afraid), we realized how much history coursed through these pathways throughout the centuries. Hold out till the top, where you’ll find breathtaking views, sacred spaces and a peace like no other.
Lunch suggestion would be at La Mere Poulard, the traditional french restaurant opened since 1888, known for their excellent omelettes, cooked over a wood fire, a puffy, delicious delight!
