Mont Saint-Michel

by Peter Green, May 2002

Over the Easter holiday we made a return trip to Normandy and used the picturesque and historic port of Honfleur as our base. It was eighteen years since we had last seen the D-Day Landing beaches when Elaine, John Hayward and I witnessed the 40th anniversary of Operation Overlord. This time we cast our net wider and included a visit to Giverny to see Monet's beautiful garden and house and, rather than just pass it by, actually visit the famous fortified monastery town of Mont Saint-Michel.

Michael is one of the three angels mentioned by name in the bible (Raphael and Gabriel being the others). Despite there being only four short references to him in scripture (Daniel where he visits Daniel and is seen to be Israel's great support during the Babylonian captivity; Jude where Michael disputes with the devil over the body of Moses; Revelation - where Michael leads the angels in the war in heaven on the devil and drives him out) - he has been especially honoured and invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. Although he is always called "the Archangel," the Greek Fathers and many others place him over all the angels - as Prince of the Seraphim. St. Michael is the patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness. Also the church that I was baptised, confined and where Elaine and I married was St. Michael's church in Brierley Hill, so this saint was of particular interest!  

The abbey church of Mont Saint Michel is built on a granite rock jutting 250 feet out of the sea and the present buildings doubles that height to provide a formidably impressive view from the mainland shoreline.

After the decline in the Roman Empire, early Christians from Ireland inhabited the area and some hermits lived on what was then known as Mont Tombe - "tomb on the hill" and local fishermen provided them with food. In 708 Aubert, Bishop of nearby Avranches, had a vision that the archangel Michael ordered him to make the rock a place or worship. Apparently, Aubert was a little slow on the uptake about this instruction, and Michael had to remind him on another two occasions and eventually poked a hole in his skull to ram home the point so to speak! Aubert then fulfilled the archangel's wishes and over time the place became known as Mont Saint-Michel.

The peace and prosperity brought by Charlemagne were short lived as Men from the North - Normans - came and pillaged the coastline each year and eventually settled there. The king of Franks finally recognised one of the chiefs, Rolf le Marcheur, or Rollon, as the "Duke of Normandy" and the chief and all his soldiers became Christians. From then Rollon and his descendents protected the sanctuaries and encouraged their rebuilding.

In 966 Duke Richard reproached the priests who lived on the Mont for their immoral and impious behaviour and replaced them with more humble monks from Flanders who adopted the rule of St. Benedict. As the abbey grew in stature and wealth, it outgrew the old buildings and could afford to build an immense church on the top of the rock in the Romanesque style. When Duke William conquered England, the superior of the Mont sent six ships and four monks to salute the new king. The abbot at the peak of the abbey's fortunes was Robert de Thorigny, a skilful member of the Court of the Plantagenet King Henry II who reigned over England and a large part of France.

At the beginning of the 13th century the Anglo-Norman kingdom broke up and the king of France, Philippe Auguste, took Normandy and Mont Saint-Michel was besieged by one of the king's allies and partly burnt down. In order to be pardoned, Philippe-Auguste sent a large amount of gold and rebuilding began. This was now the age of the cathedral and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture - The Marvel - was built on the north side. As can be seen from the photographs below, both Romanesque and Gothic features are present at either end of the vast abbey church.

The 14th century saw the "100 years war" between England and France and the mad king Charles VI made the abbot of Mont Saint-Michel, Pier re le Roi, his counsellor and the abbot immediately began to fortify the abbey with ramparts and barbican towers. Normandy fell to the English after Agincourt in 1415 and was governed by the Duke of Bedford, but the monks of the Mont rebelled against the abbot who had agreed to serve under the Duke. In 1424 the Mont withstood a siege from the English and helped the French regain their confidence. It seemed the archangel had made the victory possible and it was he who appeared to Joan, the shepherd girl from Lorraine, and said "I am Michael, the protector of France. Arise and  go and help the King of France". On reflection perhaps not the best of advice for Joan!
 

Peter (left) with his brother John in the cloisters right at the top of the Mont