One of the best places to visit in France is The Mont Saint Michel. It is on the border of Normandy and Brittany and has been called one of the wonders of the world.
Normandy and Brittany fought over who it belonged to for years since it sat right on the border. It had been a prison, a sanctuary and a fortress. Today it is an abbey and tourist attraction. It’s linked to the mainland by a dike that all but disappears at high tide making the Mount a supreme fortress.
The Druids first worshipped there in the Celtic period. Followed by the Romans who worshipped Mercury. At the end of the 5th century hermits or Christians reached the forested Mount. The bishop of the time was named Aubert. He said that the Archangel St. Michael appeared to him three times. The Archangel instructed him to build a sanctuary in his name on the Mount. Over the years the Mount faced warring factions in the church, the world and in France. In the end it was Napoléon who restored the Mount to its sanctuary status. The little man had some priorities.
I was lucky enough to spend the night in the Mont. A truly amazing event. Being able to roam around the abbey and streets with the setting sun and no one around is both unsettling and breath taking. I vividly remember taking a bath and watching the light flow in through the stained glass windows surrounded by stone walls and thinking I had traveled back in time. I would highly recommend an overnight stay if you can swing it.
More in the days to follow ~ My other favorite things about France.
Normandy and Brittany fought over who it belonged to for years since it sat right on the border. It had been a prison, a sanctuary and a fortress. Today it is an abbey and tourist attraction. It’s linked to the mainland by a dike that all but disappears at high tide making the Mount a supreme fortress.
The Druids first worshipped there in the Celtic period. Followed by the Romans who worshipped Mercury. At the end of the 5th century hermits or Christians reached the forested Mount. The bishop of the time was named Aubert. He said that the Archangel St. Michael appeared to him three times. The Archangel instructed him to build a sanctuary in his name on the Mount. Over the years the Mount faced warring factions in the church, the world and in France. In the end it was Napoléon who restored the Mount to its sanctuary status. The little man had some priorities.
I was lucky enough to spend the night in the Mont. A truly amazing event. Being able to roam around the abbey and streets with the setting sun and no one around is both unsettling and breath taking. I vividly remember taking a bath and watching the light flow in through the stained glass windows surrounded by stone walls and thinking I had traveled back in time. I would highly recommend an overnight stay if you can swing it.
More in the days to follow ~ My other favorite things about France.
Very cool that you were able to spend the night there. Were you able to take pictures?
ReplyDeleteI've got pictures but they are all slides. It was a long time ago :) I need to drag them all out and relive a many happy moments!
ReplyDeleteCool! You should give a slideshow sometime. :)
ReplyDelete