Saint Michel
The
abbey of Saint Michel sits on the peak of the island. Its
tower and spire reach far into the sky. The tides in the surrounding
bay are very strong and act as a natural defense. Rising and
falling with the movements of the moon, they can reach speeds
of 18 miles (29 km) per hour in the spring.
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The elegant Gothic monastery is
known as La Merveille, or "The Wonder." Saint Michel Mont has
become a national monument attracting nearly 1.5 million visitors
every year. The island itself has only 105 residents.
Tidal Waves and an Island
Just off the coast of northern France, an isolated piece of
granite rises out of the sea. This island stands at the mouth
of the river Couesnon and lies on the border between Brittany
and Normandy. It takes its name from the abbey that perches
high on top of the island, The Abbey of St Michael. It was once part
of the French mainland, and the highest point in the forest
of Scissy. In the year A.D. 709, a huge tidal wave engulfed
the forest, turning the hillock into an island. It is now surrounded
by large sand banks and becomes an island during high tides.
Saint Michel and its bay are registered on the UNESCO worldwide
patrimony list as part of France's natural and cultural heritage.
A Religious Art
Legend has it that, in the year of the tidal wave, the archangel Michael appeared three times before Saint Aubert,
the bishop of Avranches, requesting that a shrine be built to him. An oratory was built in the eighth century,
and in A.D. 966, twelve Benedictine monks founded the abbey dedicated to Saint Michael. It became a center of
learning in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Pilgrims, including large numbers of children, known as
miquelots (mik-KE-loh) journeyed great distances to honor the cult of Saint Michael. After the French Revolution,
the abbey became a political prison for seventy three years. One of the reminders of this trying time is
Gaultier's Leap, a terrace near the top of the church that was named after a prisoner who leaped to his death
from there. Today, a small community of Benedictine monks still lives in the abbey.
Saving Saint Michel
Saint Michel lies only half a mile (0.8 km) from the mainland.
At low tide, the sea retreats, leaving a large expanse of sand.
Formerly, crossing the sand was the only way to reach the island.
Today, a road links it to the mainland.
Unfortunately, the road has brought problems. Sand has been
collecting in the bay, and now the island is cut off from the
mainland only during high tides. Environmental experts and the
inhabitants of Saint Michel fear that the island will soon
be permanently connected to the mainland as the seabed rises.
The French government has embarked on a seven year project to
protect the island. The road will be replaced by a bridge. Having
a bridge that crosses the sea instead of a road that sits in
it will allow sand to circulate naturally in the bay, greatly
lessening the problem of silting. At a cost of nearly 1 billion
dollars, the project hopes to maintain the island's maritime
character.
Extract from “Countries Of The World France”, Written by Roseline Ngcheong-Lum. Times Edition Pte Ltd. Singapore, 1999.
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