MONT SAINT-MICHEL ❘ ONE THOUSAND YEARS


A MONUMENTAL HISTORY


Chloe Govan explores France’s most visited regional monument, Mont Saint-Michel, as it marks its momentous 1,000th anniversary


P


icture the scene: hundreds of seagulls swarm around the bell tower, the most arresting landmark on this rugged, desolate island by far. Climb high to the choir terrace, far from the chaotic crush of the crowds below, until the raucous squawking of the birds and the


ferocious howl of the wind are the only audible sounds. From this high vantage point, the air is astonishingly fresh. At low tide, modern-day pilgrims can be seen trudging barefoot across the bay, making the same once-perilous journey that centuries ago, only the most devoutly religious would have attempted. Then descend back into the warren of rooms in the abbey far below, clambering into one of the tiny, derelict dungeons. The cells, pitch black and completely, eerily, silent, were once a living hell where the only hope of salvation was a wealthy relative conjuring up a ransom payment. Then emerge, blinking, from the gloom, and head back outside.


AN ICON THROUGH THE AGES From the quietly contemplative spiritualist to the barefoot pilgrim to the royal barricaded in the fortress and scouring the skyline for attackers, to the desperately isolated prisoner despondently awaiting death – in just a few minutes, you’ve walked through centuries of history and played the roles of a whole cast of characters. That’s what’s so special about Mont Saint-Michel – it brings history to life. In fact, the abbey is so popular (it is the most visited regional monument in all of France) that a campaign was recently launched urging the public to remember that there are other landmark locations worth visiting too.


Although the sensible visitor would want to avoid Mont Saint-Michel in peak summer season when the overcrowding reaches the proportions of rush-hour traffic, the monument’s popularity is hugely justified. It’s had its famous supporters


44 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Oct/Nov 2023


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IMAGES © CHRISTIAN GLUCKMAN / CENTRE DES MONUMENTS NATIONAUX


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