Well now I am planning to travel to the very well known and much written destination Mont Saint Michel in France. One of my favorite destinations. With so much history written on this beautiful place which has chapels to ramparts to churches it is indeed a breathtaking place. The history goes back to 16th October 708 A.D. It stands gloriously in the middle of the ocean known to be the gift of land and sea. The Mont has served not only as a religious place, that served as a retreat to pilgrims and devotees, but also served as an very important role in many wars fought that dates back to William the Conqueror. Mont Saint Michel stood as a symbol of resistance during the One Hundred Years’ war. The guardrooms, the ramparts and the English bombards are evidence to the role the Mont played during the wars though out its history.
On entering the main street it leads to the Abbey on top of the rock. There are two main stairways. The great outer staircase, that leads from the village to the monastery, and the inner staircase which leads from the guardroom to a terrace known as Gautier’s Leap. Then there is the lace stairway that leads to the top of the chevet, from which there is a panoramic view of the entire bay. The Mont has gone through many architectural reforms like Romanesque to flamboyant Gothic. The Romanesque Church which was completed in 1084 said to have taken almost hundred years to construct. Then the crypt of Our Lady of Thirty Candles was built. Pillars and arches were introduced that gave birth to galleries and windows to give natural light. The entrance to the Romanesque abbey was on the northwest side of the island which as completed early years of the 12th century. The Mont’s height of fame was during the Abbacy of Robert de Thorigny 1154 to 1186. It was politically, materially, and intellectually thriving during his period. However, the end of this era also brought the end of the age of Romanesque architecture and the reign of the Dukes as Normandy was conquered by the French king Phillip Augustus.
Unlike the English Dukes, with the kings of France having very less to do with the election of Abbots or the life in the Mont, Abbots started to build more elaborate and flamboyant buildings towards the end of the 12th century. Three stories of chambers in the western and eastern sides with more space and light now known as the Marvel was built during the first forty years of the 13th century. Great change in architecture was taking place all over Europe and the Mont also did its part to the architectural style Gothic. It is a masterpiece with beautiful decorative features specially seen in the cloisters in the upper storey which were used by the monks for their recreation. Upper storey also has the refractory and the knights’ chamber where monks worked and studied and the scriptorium where the copyist and illuminators workshop are in the second level. Also on the second level is the guests’ room. This has elegant ribbed vaulting and columns that brings in the light to show of the beauty of the stylized foliage. This turns out to be one of the most elegant gothic piece of work done during the Middle Ages. The undercroft where the food was received and the almonry where the poorest pilgrims where accommodated are on the lowest level.
A walk down the rampart and the town is a must. The small village had inns, taverns where pilgrims could stay. There are yet some of the houses that exist from those days and some restored. With so much history to offer a visit to Mont St. Michel is something you will not regret!!
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