ONE THOUSAND YEARS ❘ MONT SAINT-MICHEL


Mont Saint-Michel is imbued with history from other eras as well: during the French Revolution, Napoleon had the abbey transformed into a brutal prison, nicknamed the Bastille of the Sea, where hundreds died of starvation or illness while in solitary confi nement. The 19th century proved enormously auspicious for the abbey: in 1862 it was added to the nation’s offi cial list of protected historic monuments; and an aesthetic breakthrough came in 1888, when Victor Petitgrand installed a new tower with a Neo-Gothic spire, taking inspiration from Notre-Dame in Paris.


Meanwhile, an early version of today’s throng of tourist shops on the medieval streets below the abbey was lucrative even then, when they were tailored specifi cally to religious pilgrims. More recently, back in 2007, former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy chose the location to


Clockwise from above: Mont Saint-Michel is France’s most popular regional landmark; looking out across the bay; an aerial view of the abbey; the cloisters at night; looking down on the medieval splendour of the village; a tile bearing a scallop shell design, the emblem of pilgrims


launch his presidential campaign. The abbey may have undergone numerous transformations over the years, but it has never lost the historical context and iconic aesthetic that fi rst earned it such visibility.


A private guided tour of the abbey is highly recommended, as it allows guests to witness areas that are otherwise inaccessible to visitors – for example, certain prison cells that lie behind locked doors, and a secret choir balcony close to the top of the bell tower, which takes you far from the crowds for unforgettable panoramas. Good entry points for those heading to Mont Saint-Michel from the UK are Rennes and Saint-Malo, as buses, operated by Keolis, run from both locations direct to the island; it’s equally quick and easy to reach for those with their own wheels. If fl ying into Rennes, it’s impossible to go wrong with a stay at the ❯❯


Oct/Nov 2023 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 47


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