Mont Saint Michel, Normandy France
A Gothic styled Fortress
Mont Saint-Michel, one of France's most famous landmarks is in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and over three million people visit every year. Mont Saint Michel is located on an island in Normandy and it is as well one of the most visited sites by the tourists. Le Mont Saint Michel, rocky, cone shaped islet in northwestern France, in the Gulf of Saint Malo, connected by a causeway with the mainland. The islet, celebrated for its Benedictine Abbey, has small houses and shops on its lowest level. Above these stand the monastic buildings, many of which date from the 13th century and are considered outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. The entire islet is crowned by the abbey church, about 73m (about 240ft) above sea level.
The first chapel on this site was founded in 708 by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, after the Archangel Michael has appeared to him in a dream. The Archangel Michel appeared here in the year 708. The Abbey takes the name of Mont saint Michel. The oratory, consecrated in 709 was served by a community of canons. It apparently survived the Norman invasions, but the observance of the rule became very relaxed. In 966 Richard I, Duke of Normandy, established there the Benedictine monks from St. Wandrille Abbey under the direction of Abbot Maynard, who began the reconstructions of the church and other buildings. The church was burnt in 922 and rebuilt on a larger scale by Abbot Hildebert II from 1023, at the time of the monastic reforms in Normandy carried out by Richard II and William of Volpiano.
History
Mont Saint Michel was used in the sixth and seventh centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Gallo Roman culture and power until it was ransacked by the Franks, thus ending the trans channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in AD 460. From roughly the fifth to the eighth century, Mont Saint Michel belonged to the territory of Neustria, and in the early ninth century was an important place in the marches of Neustria. The Abbey was originally founded in the year 708 and the construction of the buildings continued into the 16th century. Perched atop the rocky tip of the island, it has been one of the top pilgrimage destinations in France throughout the centuries. Even today, it is one of the most visited national monuments in the country.
Enter the island through the fortified walls by a series of gates and climb to the abbey between a variety of shops and houses from the 15th and 16th centuries. Along the way, four minor museums endeavor to lure visitors. The Archeoscope offers a multimedia show about the construction and history of the monument. The Museum of History provides displays of weapons, artwork and artifacts associated with the history of the island. The Maritime and Ecology Museum describes the ecology of the bay and explains the current efforts to restore the maritime nature of the island by replacing the causeway with a bridge. Tiphaine's House displays 14th century furniture and artwork in one of the monument's oldest houses. While the museums are mildly interesting, the foremost attraction is the island and the Abbey.
Abbey Design
In the 11th century, William de Volpiano, the Italian architect who had built the Abbey of Fécamp in Normandy, was chosen by Richard II of Normandy to be the building contractor. He designed the Romanesque church of the Abbey, daringly placing the transept crossing at the top of the mount. Many underground crypts and chapels had to be built to compensate for this weight; these formed the basis for the supportive upward structure that can be seen today. Today Mont Saint Michel is seen as a Romanesque style church. Robert de Thorigny, a great supporter of Henry II of England (who was also Duke of Normandy), reinforced the structure of the buildings and built the main façade of the church in the 12th century.
In 1204, the Breton Guy de Thouars, allied to the King of France, undertook the siege of the Mount. And he set the village on fire, unfortunately, the fire which he himself lit extended to the buildings, and the roofs fell prey to the flames. Horrified by the cruelty and the exactions of his Breton ally, Philip Augustus offered Abbot Jourdain a grant for the construction of a new Gothic style architectural set which included the addition of the refectory and cloister. Charles VI is credited with adding major fortifications to the abbey mount, building towers, successive courtyards, and strengthening the ramparts.
Structure
This vast group of buildings has been the subject of several important monographs. Generally, the monastic buildings consist of three main stories. Of these, the two lower take the form of vast irregular rings completely enclosing the natural rock, which forms a core to the whole edifice. The third story rests partly on the two lower stories and partly on the apex of the rock which is found immediately beneath the pavement of the church. The most remarkable part of all is the mass of buildings known as "la merveille" (the marvel) on the North side of the rock facing the ocean. This vast structure, half military, half monastic, is built wholly of granite quarried on the mainland, and was entirely constructed between the years 1203 and 1228. Its foundations are one hundred and sixty feet above the sea level, and it consists of three stories of which two are vaulted.
The central tower has lately been restored and crowned with a copper covered spire surmounted by a gilded statue of St. Michael by M. Frémiet. The choir is apsidal and has a chevet of chapels with a crypt or lower church beneath.
Interiors
The plain classical facade of Le Mont St. Michel dates back to the 13th century. It faces west overlooking the sea. The interiors are simple, no colored glass panes. The windows have pale green glass panes with simple designs. Simple frames personify elegance and light up the interiors very well. On a bright day, the light flooding in through these glass panes will definitely make a heavenly sight. To support the massive weight of the steep led church at the top of a mountain and to give a strong foundation many underground crypts and chapels had to be built. The columns in the cloister have impressive dimensions and at the top are the criss -crossed arches (providing strength to the roof). The interiors don’t have any modern touch or facelift and that has retained its old charm and mystique.
Fortifications
Throughout the Middle Age, a village grew up around the church, mostly on the eastern side of the island. Many of these old buildings are still standing today. In the 14th century, during the Hundred Years War between France and England, the church of Mont Saint Michel and its surrounding village was fortified in order to be able to fend off English attackers. Much of the walls around the island dates back to this period. The English did assault the island several times, but were unable to seize it.
Geography
Now a rocky tidal island, in pre- historic times the Mont was on dry land. As sea levels rose, erosion reshaped the coastal landscape, and several out crop pings of granite or granulites emerged in the bay, having resisted the wear and tear of the ocean better than the surrounding rocks. These included Lillemer, the MontDol, Tombelaine (the island just to the north) and Mont Tombe later called Mont Saint Michel. The Mont has a circumference of about 960 meters and is 92 meters (301 feet) above sea level at its highest point.
Threats to the Church
The oceanic tides cause a big threat to the monument; the tides are very much frequent and current shifts every now and then. This affects the monument and withers the sculptures present on it and the structure. The tides can vary greatly, at roughly 14 meters (46 ft) between high and low water marks. Popularly nicknamed St. Michael in peril of the sea by medieval pilgrims making their way across the flats, the mount can still pose dangers for visitors who avoid the causeway and attempt the hazardous walk across the sands from the neighboring coast.
Reference:
The Book of Architectura
Source
http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Western_Europe/France/france2.htm
http://www.examiner.com/article/mont-st-michel-masterpiece-of-medieval-architecture
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10551a.htm