Along with the world famous Eiffel Tower in France, there is another recognizable landmark - the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel. Rising above the English Channel and repeating the outlines of the rock, the impregnable abode attracts not only with its amazing architecture, but also with the wonders of engineering, and exciting stories, which have accumulated a lot over the centuries-old history.
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The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most amazing and attractive architectural creations in France. The unique monastery, together with the fortress city, located on a lonely rocky island among the waters of the English Channel, has attracted attention for more than one century and those who were not always interested expressed admiration and awe. On more than one occasion, hostile neighbors tried to take over the abbey, but, fortunately, an impressive tidbit was too tough for them. And this is no wonder, because the island is located in the most unpredictable place in Europe, where nature itself stands on its defense.
Interesting fact: In those days, when the Celts and Druids built their sanctuaries on this rock, it was surrounded by picturesque forests. But three rivers flowing into the English Channel in this place did their job, and over time, the 80-meter high cliff was surrounded by water. But there was no constancy in this natural element either. The ebb and flow have become so frequent guests (twice a lunar day in 24 hours 50 minutes) that the streams of water, sometimes raising a giant wave up to 14 meters high, flooded an impressive territory up to 20 km inland. During the high tide, the island of Mont Saint-Michel was completely cut off from the mainland.
This unique natural phenomenon, on the one hand, helped to preserve the fortress and the abbey intact, but on the other hand, it made the task of builders and architects unspeakably difficult. For centuries, people had to work in inhuman conditions in order for the world to see a unique architectural treasury that keeps a lot of stories and legends, starting from the first days of its existence.
Since ancient times, this sacred place has been shrouded in a mystical atmosphere. The Celts, for example, used the rock for burials and called it the Grave Mountain, while the Druids had the "Dragon Sanctuary" here. There is also a legend that the body of Julius Caesar himself is buried in a golden coffin in the depths of Mount Grave.
There are many exciting stories about how the Archangel Michael commissioned the Avranchian Bishop Auber to build a monastery on the top of the mountain. According to one of the legends, the priest was in no hurry with the construction, so the Archangel had to appear to him several times, and only after he “tapped the bishop on his forehead” (according to the testimony of researchers, even a depression on Aubert's skull remained from this teaching), he immediately understood what was required of him.
Since the 6th century, grottoes were built on the rock, where they prayed, but the most impressive structures that have survived to this day were erected in the 11th-16th centuries. The intensification of construction began after the Norman Duke Richard I donated the island, which by that time had already received the name Mont Saint-Michel, to the Benedictine monks, who decided to create a full-fledged abbey on it.
It took several centuries for the abbey-fortress of Mont Saint-Michel to acquire its traditional shape. A village was built at the foot of the mountain, where peasants, artisans and merchants lived and worked, who were supposed to feed those who, according to their status, were supposed to be at a higher level of society - these are knights and dukes ("those who fight"). Well, at the very top, there was just an abbey, where "those who pray" - priests and monks - live.
If you look at Mont Saint-Michel from the point of view of architecture, then we can say that the entire unique ensemble was created in the best traditions of the Romanesque and Gothic style with their inherent grandeur and monumentality, directed upward. Take, for example, the main temple, located at the very top of the cliff and crowned with a spire that soars 155.5 m high with a gilded figure of the Archangel Michael (its weight is 820 kg!). It is the 3, 5-meter statue, hovering between heaven and earth, that can most often be seen on guidebooks and photo albums of the country, which is rightfully considered the most recognizable symbol of France. But the Benedictine monks themselves say that their temple connects "the Earth, the world of people and Heaven."
For the centuries-old existence of the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, it was constantly attacked both by its neighbors and by its rulers, who did not want to have willful subjects at their side. Due to the constant confrontation, some structures were destroyed, if not by fires, then by shells from cannons, which fired at the impregnable walls of the unique fortress. This led to decline and desolation, and as a result, the monks left their abbey.
The restoration of the architectural and historical monument began only under Napoleon Bonaparte, who issued a decree recognizing it as a National Treasure, but the monks of the order returned only in 1966. At the moment, more than 50% of the objects have been completely restored, they can receive visitors, who are more than enough on the island …
According to the authors of Novate.ru, only 7 people permanently live in the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, but more than 3.5 million visitors and pilgrims visit these places during the year.
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