Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey

An angel

A legend says the archangel Michael told a bishop to build here in 708

Before the first monastery was built in the 8th century the island was called Mont Tombe. According to a legend, the archangel Michael appeared in 708 to Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, and told him to build a church on the rocky islet.

The tides

Medieval pilgrims called it St Michael in peril of the sea

The tides vary by roughly 14 metres between highest and lowest water. Medieval pilgrims crossing the flats nicknamed it St. Michael in peril of the sea. The mount can still pose dangers for visitors who attempt the walk across the sands instead of using the bridge.

14 mthe rough difference between highest and lowest tides

Unconquered

A small garrison held the island against the English in 1433

The island's position, a few hundred metres from land, made it reachable at low tide for pilgrims and defensible against attack. It remained unconquered during the Hundred Years' War. A small garrison fended off a full English attack in 1433. Louis XI turned it into a prison.

A causeway

A causeway built in 1879 let silt build up, and a new bridge opened in 2014

The tidal causeway was converted into a raised causeway in 1879, which encouraged silting-up of the bay. A project announced in 2006 built a dam to flush out the silt and make the mount an island again. A new bridge by Dietmar Feichtinger opened to the public in July 2014.

A supertide

A supertide covered the new bridge in 2015

On rare occasions the tides produce an extremely high supertide. The new bridge was completely submerged on 21 March 2015, by the highest sea level, a once-in-18-years occurrence, as crowds gathered to take photos. The island had a population of 23 as of 2023.