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1/ A miracle standing proud between the sky and the sea.
Mont-Saint-Michel is a unique & gigantic structure harmoniously integrated into a rocky island.
Let's dive into the history of this abbey/fortress dominating the ocean
#MontSaintMichel
Mont-Saint-Michel is a unique & gigantic structure harmoniously integrated into a rocky island.
Let's dive into the history of this abbey/fortress dominating the ocean
#MontSaintMichel
2/ The history of Mont-Saint-Michel started during the 6th century when it was still called "Mount tomb".
An isolated megalithic stone or monument dedicated to Gallic gods used to stand there. Later, Christian hermits built two oratories on "Mount tomb".
An isolated megalithic stone or monument dedicated to Gallic gods used to stand there. Later, Christian hermits built two oratories on "Mount tomb".
3/ Mont-Saint-Michel wouldn't be Mont-Saint-Michel without a bishop named Aubert of Avranches. The archangel Michael appeared in the man's dreams and commanded him to build a sanctuary on the Mount Tomb, a similar one to Monte Gargano in Italy.
4/ Monte Gargano was a sanctuary of the cult of St. Michael. Two monks sent by Aubert of Avranches visited the place & came back with a piece of St. Michael's mantle and a fragment of the altar.
In 708, an oratory was built on "Mont-Saint-Michel" to guard these relics.
In 708, an oratory was built on "Mont-Saint-Michel" to guard these relics.
5/ The first residents arrived during the same period fleeing the Viking raids. The island became a high place of pilgrimage. It was considered as one of the biggest spiritual places in Medieval Europe with Rome & Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
6/ In 965, Richard I of Normandy built a Benedictine monastery on Mont-Saint-Michel. Between 40 and 60 monks lived there. One day, they found a skull with a perforated hole and identified it as the mark of the pressure of Saint Michael's finger on Aubert of Avranches's head.
7/ The place where these first monks prayed still exists today. It's called Notre-Dame-sous-Terre, but it's not accessible to visitors. One of the secrets Mont-Saint-Michel is keeping for itself 
8/ Mont-Saint-Michel is an architectural blend. Constructions never stopped from the 10th to the 19th century. It kept evolving.
A pile of stones erasing parts of its past, one after the other in a perfect harmony of time.
A pile of stones erasing parts of its past, one after the other in a perfect harmony of time.
9/ Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the last places in France that kept its 13-14th century fortifications. When you enter inside the central church of the island, its Roman features gradually merge into a Gothic cathedral.
10/ Built at the very top of the island, the abbey is 80 meters above the sea.
A golden statue of the Archangel Michael overlooks the whole structure.
Its magnificent cloister dates from the 13th century.
A golden statue of the Archangel Michael overlooks the whole structure.
Its magnificent cloister dates from the 13th century.
11/ During the "Hundred Years' War" between France and England, the small island on Normandy's shore became a strategic point of entry to France. Bulwarks were necessarily added to help French knights defending the Mont-Saint-Michel from English forces.
12/ After the French Revolution, it became a prison... for priests. Quite an irony. People even started calling it the "Bastille of the Sea". Many types of prisoners followed, including political ones. Mont-Saint-Michel was home to 15 000 prisoners during one century.
13/ Mont-Saint-Michel's bay is the scene of the highest tides in continental Europe. The amplitude is 13 meters. The tides "come back at the speed of a galloping horse".
Mont Saint-Michel only becomes an island again 53 days a year, for a few hours.
Mont Saint-Michel only becomes an island again 53 days a year, for a few hours.
14/ Mont-Saint-Michel is the most visited monument in France after Paris. The small island becomes quickly very crowded during peak days. 3 million people visit it every single year. Except in 2020, I guess 
15/ Locals need to fight to keep living on Mont-Saint-Michel, surrounded by millions of tourists in a highly regulated town.
For example, they have to go to 10km-away farms to buy food, but they can not take their bikes anymore.
For example, they have to go to 10km-away farms to buy food, but they can not take their bikes anymore.
16/ Most of Mont-Saint-Michel's locals are restaurant & shop owners - family businesses. Some of them date from the 17th century. There are very well-defined clans who fight for touristic areas between each other. Still, they know when to unite & never sell shops to "foreigners".
17/ The most iconic restaurant of Mont-Saint-Michel is called "Mère Poulard", famous for its prepared-in-rhythm omelet. The new owner (also the mayor) led it to a 1000-employee business ( @merepoulardfr) selling everything but omelets.
18/ This was my thread about Mont-Saint-Michel, thanks for reading it. Send me your honest feedback, please 
What French monument or historical place would you like me to cover next?
What French monument or historical place would you like me to cover next?
