The monastery of Mont Saint-Michel, founded in 708 by St-Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, celebrates its 1300th anniversary this year. According to legend, Aubert was ordered to do so by the Archangel Michael, and evidently took some persuading, for Michael is said to have appeared to the bishop on three separate occasions.

St-Aubert’s scepticism was unsurprising because the monastery had to be built around the conical rock that rises out of the Atlantic nearly a mile from the shore. It was not until 1017 that Abbot Hildebert II undertook the formidable task of creating a huge platform level with the 300ft summit that could support an abbey. The abbey would not be completed until the 16th century. By then the little town that had sprung up on the slopes had been heavily fortified, and although attacked many times, especially by the English, it was never captured.

The Order of Saint Michael bears as its insignia a cockle shell, horn and staff, depicting the struggle of pilgrims to reach the mount. The staff was used to test the depth of water at low tide, when quicksand frequently engulfed the unwary. The horn was used to summon help and guide the way, particularly during the thick fog that often swept across the sands without warning. The cockle shell was fixed to the pilgrim’s hat as a badge of courage to show that he had braved the hazardous journey.

It was not until 1880 that a causeway was built to the mount, strong enough to resist even the strongest tides that sweep around the promontory. However the causeway still disappears at high tide and unthinking motorists who leave their cars in one of the car parks at much lower level to visit the rock can be in for a rude awakening when they return.

From our March 2008 e-newsletter