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