It is an incredible place set in an incredible environment. Like those women and men who were told that “everything is fine with them”, the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is a jewel that dazzles you every time you see it. Even if it were placed on the edge of the highway in the suburbs of Saint-Étienne, the monument would be able to illuminate its entire environment. So imagine it, posed in the middle of a huge wild bay, staring down a strange rock as if out of nowhere. Add to this the effort of the 300 steps to climb to get there and you will understand the wow effect that the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel can cause in its visitors. In 2021, more than 600,000 people had entered its doors to discover the bowels of the abbey and get lost in its corridors and crypts.
In 2023, the monument could do even more as it celebrates its first millennium. This birthday will be celebrated for several months by a series of events dedicated to this timeless monument, classified as a historic monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A work started by the least a thousand years ago
Let’s first take the time for a little warning. With a very rich history, Mont Saint-Michel is still the subject of lively debate between specialists who continue to quarrel over the memory of the place. Legend has it that the history of what was called Mont Tombe began in 708 AD when the Archangel Michael made several appearances in Bishop Aubert’s dreams, asking him to build a sanctuary for him on Mount. The construction of the abbey began in 1023 under the direction of Benedictine monks. The mount became an important place of pilgrimage where Christians came to seek protection from Saint Michael.
Perched on its rock, the abbey is also the object of many desires. To protect it, ramparts were erected at its feet, making the building a fortress of the Duchy of Normandy during the Middle Ages which would repel English sieges. These fortifications will not prevent damage. In 1421, the Romanesque choir of the church collapsed and would not be rebuilt until a century later. These multiple constructions and reconstructions give the abbey a unique aspect of a mixture of eras and inspirations. “The abbey is an architectural feat. Several generations of builders took turns to rebuild the abbey after each collapse, each fire. The East and West Crypts, for example. We know that they were built to hold the choir upright. We brought the stones from the Chausey Islands to erect them on the rocky slopes,” says François Saint-James, one of the guides on the Merveille.
“An extremely complex construction”
The man is very, very well informed about the history of the abbey. However, he does not know on what date the religious monument was consecrated. “For centuries, monks celebrated it on October 17. But we have no trace, no precise date of its consecration, ”concedes the guide. This is also why the teams of the public establishment of Mont Saint-Michel did not choose a date to celebrate this millennium but spread the events over several months. A great exhibition entitled “The Archangel’s Residence” starts this Saturday, May 20 to show what visitors are not used to seeing. “The Mount conceals hidden objects which are not visible to the general public and will be presented within the framework of this exhibition. I am thinking in particular of angels carved in the 15th century. I’m not sure they’ve been exhibited before,” explains Mathilde Labattue, curator at the DRAC.
At the turn of the exhibition, the visitor will be able to discover certain secrets not always known to the general public. “It’s an extremely complex construction that has evolved a lot. The Mount served as a prison. It took a lot of repair work in the 19th century to give it back the image we know today,” continues Mathilde Labattue. The curator recalls in particular that the archangel’s arrow has not always been there. “We sometimes tend to forget it, but the appearance of the mountain has changed a lot. Some murals are gone forever.” The public establishment managing the establishment is currently working on an augmented reality visit that will allow you to discover the abbey as it was before. While waiting for it to be ready, you can enjoy the show with your eyes, they will thank you for it.