Mont Saint Michel, France:
During the medieval ages architecture was a major component. Today people use architecture in
order to track back history and see the ways in which people lived. One artifact that is still around
today is the town of Mont Saint Michel in France. This town currently consist of 44 people and is
located in the ocean on top of a rock, off the northern coast of France. The towns borders which
sit by the water used to be the homes, and shops, of the village. This town has stayed in grand condition
for such a long time due to the fact that people were only able to get to it when there was a low tide.
This city is now open and available 24/7 due to the fat they added a better road in 2013. The center
and the main part of the town is the cathedral which has been seen in many movies and has a huge
steeple as its statement piece. One great website that shows the details of the city/monument in
The abbey of Mont Saint Michel originated around the 1300s. The land had been settled
on in 966 by a group of Benedictine monks by the request of the Duke of Normandy, Richard
the first. The monastery was first built due to an order given to the monks from Saint Benedict.
The monastery was a place of great scripture and produced many manuscripts. This lead to the
nickname of the city, “City of the books”. The addition of manuscript also lead to the idea
of learning. Which then lead to pilgrimage. People from knights, to the kings of France,
and England all came to this city and cathedral to see it in its glory. The abbey is still standing
but has withheld lots of damage. One example is that part of it was burnt which was done
when King Phillip II tried to capture the mount. The church was also a state prison back in the
1800’s under the power of Napoleon I. All in all Mont Saint Michel has lived through a lot of
history and is still today a great artifact/reminiscence of medieval towns.
on in 966 by a group of Benedictine monks by the request of the Duke of Normandy, Richard
the first. The monastery was first built due to an order given to the monks from Saint Benedict.
The monastery was a place of great scripture and produced many manuscripts. This lead to the
nickname of the city, “City of the books”. The addition of manuscript also lead to the idea
of learning. Which then lead to pilgrimage. People from knights, to the kings of France,
and England all came to this city and cathedral to see it in its glory. The abbey is still standing
but has withheld lots of damage. One example is that part of it was burnt which was done
when King Phillip II tried to capture the mount. The church was also a state prison back in the
1800’s under the power of Napoleon I. All in all Mont Saint Michel has lived through a lot of
history and is still today a great artifact/reminiscence of medieval towns.
Works Cited:
“History of the Monument.” Centre Des Monuments Nationaux, http://www.abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr/en/Explore/L-histoire-de-l-abbaye-du-Mont-Saint-Michel. Accessed 14 Oct. 2019.
Martin. “Discover the Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy.” French Moments, 10 Feb. 2017, https://frenchmoments.eu/mont-saint-michel/.]Accessed 14 Oct. 2019.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Mont-Saint-Michel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Mont-Saint-Michel. Accessed 14 Oct. 2019.
“Top 25 Medieval Cities In Europe: Best Preserved Towns To Visit.” BigBoyTravel.com, https://www.bigboytravel.com/europe/topmedievalcities/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2019.
I love the fact that it not only is a masterful example of Medieval architecture, but that it also has a strong historical background with part of it being burnt and that it used to be a state prison at one point.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed by how small this town is! I would be interested in looking at their tourism rates, and to see how helpful that industry is to this tiny town.
ReplyDeleteThis blog really relates to our class learning of the role of monks in building during the medieval times. It’s astounding that they could build such beautiful cathedrals in such difficult terrain like Mont Saint Michel. I also find it amusing that a cathedral could also house prisoners, there is some irony in that!
ReplyDeleteI have been fascinated with Mont St Michel since I saw a picture of it hanging in my French class in middle school, I thought it was absolutely stunning. I never knew that it served as a prison, that's an interesting new piece of information. Also, did you know that Mont Saint Michel was used as the inspiration for Rapunzel's kingdom in Disney's Tangled?
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to see how small the town is now and that only 44 people live there. For so many people of importance to come and see it the architecture must have been amazing inside and out.
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