Mont Saint-Michel

  • Mont Saint-Michel is a tidal island lying 1 mile (0.6km) off the coast of Normandy, with a walled town.
  • The first Abbey was constructed above the town in the 8th century CE.

Description

  • It was accessed by a very low causeway at low tide, which was raised above the tide in 1879 CE.
  • The Tidal Range can vary up to a maximum of 46 ft (14m) and is a hazard for those attempting to walk across the sands at low tide.
  • The Romanesque Abbey that stands today was built in the 11th century CE and has since been reconstructed several times.
  • The Benedictine Order was installed in 966 CE, and was later linked to St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall until 1424 CE.
  • During the Middle Ages the Abbey was a Site of Pilgrimage from all over Europe.
  • A similar Tidal Estuary with paths emerging at low tides is the Solway Firth in Cumbria, England. Drumburgh Fort controlled a ford known as the Sandy wath, which crossed the Solway Firth at low tide from Drumburgh to Dornock in Scotland.

St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall

  • The Benedictine Monastery at Mont Saint-Michel was given the tidal island of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, along with its monastery, by Edward the Confessor (1042-1066 CE).
  • The relationship ended in 1424 CE.

 

Mont Saint-Michel

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