We were excited to see Mont St-Michel in the daylight, although as this photo shows, it was quite windy. As with many beautiful places, the photos just don't really do it justice. Basically, Mont St-Michel is a tidal island (the thin road to the mainland is covered everyday by high tide) topped with an abbey that's earliest sections were built in 708. In the 10th century the Benedictines settled in the abbey and a village grew up around the base. It was a popular site for pilgrimages until the Reformation in the 16th century. It was converted into a prison during the French Revolution until 1863. In 1874, it was classified as a historic monument and had a major restoration. Today, the village is full of cafes, small hotels and junk shops, but the architecture retains the look of medieval times.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Mont Saint-Michel...
We were excited to see Mont St-Michel in the daylight, although as this photo shows, it was quite windy. As with many beautiful places, the photos just don't really do it justice. Basically, Mont St-Michel is a tidal island (the thin road to the mainland is covered everyday by high tide) topped with an abbey that's earliest sections were built in 708. In the 10th century the Benedictines settled in the abbey and a village grew up around the base. It was a popular site for pilgrimages until the Reformation in the 16th century. It was converted into a prison during the French Revolution until 1863. In 1874, it was classified as a historic monument and had a major restoration. Today, the village is full of cafes, small hotels and junk shops, but the architecture retains the look of medieval times.
No comments:
Post a Comment