2023-09-30 02:38:00
September 29, 2023
For Victor Hugo, it was like an Egyptian pyramid raised in the middle of a sea of quicksand. For JK Rowling readers it could be a version of Hogwarts, with imposing superimposed Gothic buildings and a picturesque little town that does not change with the passage of time. For Instagrammers, it is a church in the background behind a landscape of meadows, with a river that undulates symmetrically as if it were a water snake. He Mont Saint Michel It is a kind of chameleon that takes the shape that whoever looks at it wants to give it. It is an enigma, a mystery and a wonder that has fascinated for a thousand years. Exactly this 2023 marks one millennium since its construction began.
Restaurant In The Fortified Village And Abbey Of Mont-Saint-Michel, France (Photo by: Insights/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Insights – Universal Images Group Editorial
Everyone who has visited it has their own version and their own vision. There are those who remember above all the recipes of the Mother Poulard; those who raised their eyes to heaven to see the golden sword of the saint shine under the sun; those who heard the echoes of the battles of the Hundred Years War along with the memory of Bertrand du Guesclin. Also those who went down the stairs to the heart of the mountain in search of their origins; or those who are especially mindful of crossing the bay during low tide. No two people have seen or experienced the place the same way. However, it is always about this wonder, which fascinated the pilgrims of yesteryear and their avatars, the tourists of today.
Did it all start a thousand years ago, in 1023? Not really. It has a prequel, like all good series. We must go back to the year 708, when a bishop received a visit from Saint Michael several times in his dreams. The archangel commissioned him construction of a sanctuary on an island in the Bay of Englishwhich is on the border between the regions of Brittany and Normandy.
The priest, who called Aubertwas a native of the region and knew well the two rocks that became islets during periods of high tide. One is called Tombelaine and the other, the largest, Tombe. It was there that the ecclesiastic commissioned the construction of a small oratory, inspired by another that had become a famous pilgrimage site in southern Italy: San Michele Arcangelo, in Puglia.
In 966, William’s great-great-grandfather – that Norman duke who conquered England – sent a group of monks to the island. FIt was they who launched the construction of a church more ambitious than Aubert’s modest oratory.. They had to respond to the growing prestige of Christianity and the figure of Saint Michael in that region populated by direct descendants of Vikings. The works began in 1023 and in a few years the powerful figure of the archangel caused a great pilgrimage movement. The geographical rarity of the island – surrounded by the waves of the English Channel or a sea of sand depending on the rhythm of the tides – contributed greatly to the fame of this new sanctuary.
The first works were the starting point of a construction fever that did not stop until recent times. The mountain is like a large cake made of several layers: the Romanesque church was built on the original chapel and from the 13th century onwards the magnificent Gothic complex was added, whose bell towers surround a main arrow that tries to raise a statue to the top. gold of the saint.
The architects had to show off their ingenuity to adapt their works to the rocks and difficult topography of the island. The result is a vertical feat, which culminates with the tip of the arrow and the statue of Saint Michael. Medieval builders managed to build an abbey that is also a fortress, and managed to emerge victorious from a siege that lasted 11 years in the 15th century.
For those who know how to find them, there are stories in each of the steps of the stairs and in each of the rocks of the walls of the mountain. Just as it was a very important spiritual and cultural center, where some of the most beautiful medieval manuscripts were produced, it was also a highly political place and several kings needed to assert their power in this unparalleled site, from Saint Louis to Henry II of England. .
Starting in the 11th century, long before the fortification of the island, The prestige of the mountain reached the entire Christian West. The pilgrims compared their crossing of the bay with that which the Jews had to make through the desert. It was a dangerous test and they had to overcome rivers, quicksands and, above all, the largest tides in Europe. A saying has survived to this day: it is said that in that region of La Mancha the sea retreats and returns at the speed of a galloping horse.
Even the main entrance is blocked during high tideSebastián Arauz
During the big tides, in fact, the sea moves away more than 15 kilometers. In the 19th century, a polder was created to reclaim land for sheep flocks and the bay was invaded by sand. The mountain ceased to be an island until works were carried out, with dams, dams and a bridge-walkway that allowed the water to return during the highest tides.
As of these transformations, the access changed and the large parking lot that had been generated next to the raised road no longer exists. Now you have to leave the cars on the mainland, and from there you can get there in less than an hour walking, or in a dozen minutes aboard the transfers that come and go all the time, day and night. Depending on the time and time of year, some choose to walk in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims and cross the sands of the bay: from that angle, the perspective of the mountain is breathtaking and the experience takes on a radically different dimension.
After reaching the gate of the walls, entering the mountain is a bit like in the movies, where the protagonists find a passage that makes them travel in time. The first door already allows you to imagine what is coming, but the second causes a real impact when you perceive the narrow street that borders the legendary hotel-restaurant of the Mère Poulard, opened in 1888 by Annette and her husband. Her soufflé omelette is famous throughout the world and the recipe – kept in the strictest of secrets – has not changed in more than a century.
The famous restaurant de la Mère Poulard opened in 1888
To enter the mountain itself, you must pass through a third gate, very medieval, with a drawbridge and thick iron fence. Only one soldier in armor and metal mesh would be missing to complete the painting.
The old stone houses are occupied by restaurants, souvenir shops and bars. White sailor sweaters with blue stripes and Breton pancakes are for sale.
The interior of the medieval abbeySebastián Arauz
Without realizing it, he climbs, step by step, on what was a large rock more than a thousand years ago. On summer days, or during holidays and certain times of the year, the walk becomes an unbearable experience. The mountain is the most visited site in France outside of Paris and its surroundings.
This year there will be more than three million visitors and there were some days in which more than 36,000 visitors were recorded. It is a clear example of overtourism, which is so talked about in the most popular destinations in Europe.
The rest of the time, although there is always a significant influx, the visit takes on a bit of magic. The history, the energy and even a certain dose of mysticism that seems to float in the air transform visitors.
At low tides, the landscape is a sea of sand glistening under the Norman sun. In the upper parts, the roofs of the town and the walls can also be seen. From time to time, rocks from the island appear under buildings.
La Grande Rue, a narrow street that leads to the top of Mont St. MichelPierre Longnus – The Image Bank RF
This way you reach the top, the abbey, which is the last and tallest of all the superimposed constructions on the mountain. The rise, however, is not over.
To continue, you can choose to participate in one of the themed guided tours to explore the ceilings above the church nave for two hours. Under the protection of his sword, the 4.5 meter and more than five ton saint shines under his thick layer of gold. After this vision, all that remains is to take the path in reverse, to descend towards the 21st century, step by step (there are 350 in total).
We must not believe, however, that we already know everything about the mountain and its protector. Several mysteries still remain, from underground labyrinths to a Stone Age cosmic map, carved more than 6,000 years ago to observe the planets.
In a speech to celebrate the monument’s millennium, Macron recalled that the mountain rose into the sky as the kingdom of France grew. For him, strength is a symbol: “A mixture of human roots and audacity, of nature and knowledge, of individual genius and collective fraternal humility, of work and contemplation, of people and the sacred.”
Location
It is on a small island in the estuary of the Couesnon River, in Normandy. To access, you have to walk 2.5 km from the parking area or take one of the free shuttles.
Visits
Admission to the abbey costs 11 euros and is open until 6 p.m. The town is free to visit. To observe the phenomenon of the rising tide, you must be two hours before high tide time. It can be seen from the Mount, the walls, the west terrace, or the bridge-walkway.
Conocé The Trust Project
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