The island lies approximately one kilometre (one-half nautical mile) off France's north-western coast, at the mouth of theCouesnon River nearAvranches and is 7 hectares (17 acres) in area. The mainland part of the commune is 393 hectares (971 acres) in area so that the total surface of the commune is 400 hectares (990 acres).[4][5] As of 2019[update], the island has apopulation of 29.[6]
The commune's position—on an island just a few hundred metres from land—made it accessible at low tide to the many pilgrims to itsabbey, and defensible as the incoming tide stranded, drove off, or drowned threats on foot. The island remained unconquered during theHundred Years' War. A small garrison fended off a full attack by the English in 1433.[7]Louis XI recognised the benefits of its natural defence and turned it into a prison. The abbey was used regularly as a prison during theAncien Régime.
Mont-Saint-Michel andits surrounding bay were inscribed on theUNESCO list ofWorld Heritage Sites in 1979 for its unique aesthetic and importance as a Catholic site.[8] It is visited by more than three million people each year, and is the most-visited tourist attraction in France outside of Paris.[9] Over 60 buildings within the commune are protected ashistorical monuments.[10]
Now a rockytidal island, themount occupied dry land in prehistoric times. As sea levels rose,erosion reshaped the coastal landscape, and severaloutcrops ofgranite emerged in the bay, having resisted the wear and tear of the ocean better than the surrounding rocks. These includedLillemer,Mont Dol,Tombelaine (the island just to the north), and Mont Tombe, later called Mont-Saint-Michel.
Mont-Saint-Michel consists ofleucogranite which solidified from an undergroundintrusion of moltenmagma about525 million years ago, during theCambrianperiod, as one of the younger parts of the Mancellian graniticbatholith.[11] Early studies of Mont-Saint-Michel by French geologists sometimes describe the leucogranite of the Mont as "granulite", but this granitic meaning ofgranulite is now obsolete.[12]
The mount has a circumference of about 960 m (3,150 ft) and its highest point is 92 m (302 ft)above sea level.[13]
The tides vary greatly, at roughly 14 metres (46 ft) between highest and lowest water marks. Popularly nicknamed "St. Michael in peril of the sea" by medieval pilgrims making their way across the flats, the mount can still pose dangers for visitors who avoid the bridge and attempt the hazardous walk across the sands from the neighbouring coast.
Polderisation and occasional flooding have createdsalt marsh meadows that were found to be ideally suited to grazingsheep.Agneau de pré-salé ('salt-meadow / salt-marsh lamb'), a local specialty that may be found on the menus of restaurants that depend on income from the many visitors to the mount.
Mont-Saint-Michel at low tide in November 2005The Mont-Saint-Michel in 2014 with the new bridge
The connection between Mont-Saint-Michel and the mainland has changed over the centuries. Previously connected by tidalcauseway uncovered only at low tide, this was converted into a raised causeway in 1879, preventing the tide from scouring the silt around the mount. The coastal flats have beenpolderised to create pastureland, decreasing the distance between the shore and the island, and theCouesnon river has beencanalised, reducing the dispersion of the flow of water. These factors have all encouragedsilting-up of the bay.
In June 2006, French prime ministerDominique de Villepin and regional authorities announced a€200 million project (Projet Mont-Saint-Michel)[14] to build ahydraulic dam using the waters of the Couesnon and the tides to help remove the accumulated silt, and to make Mont-Saint-Michel an island again. The construction of the dam began in 2009. The project included the removal of thecauseway and its visitor car park. Since April 2012, the new car park on the mainland has been located 2.5 kilometres (1+1⁄2 mi) from the island. Visitors can walk or useshuttles to cross the bridge.
In July 2014, the new bridge, by architectDietmar Feichtinger, was opened to the public. The light bridge allows waters to flow freely around the island and improves the efficiency of the now-operational dam. The bridge, which cost€209 million, was opened by PresidentFrançois Hollande.[15]
On rare occasions, tidal circumstances 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 snap photos.[16]
Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was calledMont Tombe (Latin:tumba). According to a legend, the archangelMichael appeared in 708 toAubert of Avranches, thebishop of Avranches, and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet.[17]
Unable to defend his kingdom against the assaults of theVikings, the king of the Franks agreed to grant theCotentin Peninsula and theAvranchin, including Mont-Saint-Michel traditionally linked to the city ofAvranches, to theBretons in theTreaty of Compiègne. This marked the beginning of a brief period of Breton possession of the Mont. In fact, these lands and Mont-Saint-Michel were never really included in the duchy of Brittany. Around 989–990 these traditional bishoprics, dependent of thearchbishopric of Rouen and that had been left vacant during the time of the Viking raids, regained their bishops.[18]
In 1067, the monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel gave its support toWilliam the Conqueror in his claim to the English throne. This he rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island off the southwestern coast ofCornwall which was modelled after Mont-Saint-Michel and became aNorman priory namedSt Michael's Mount ofPenzance.[citation needed]
Twobombards abandoned byEnglish forces and currently on display.
During theHundred Years' War,English forces unsuccessfully besieged Mont-Saint-Michel (which was underFrench control) twice. The first siege started in 1423, and was lifted the next year. In 1433, an English force equipped with wrought-ironbombards and under the command ofThomas Scales, 7th Baron Scales again besieged the island. It was likewise lifted the next year. Scales's men abandoned two bombards they had used during the siege on 17 June 1434; they were recovered by the French and are currently on display.[19]
WhenLouis XI of France founded theOrder of Saint Michael in 1469, he intended that the abbey church of Mont-Saint-Michel become the chapel for the order, but because of its great distance from Paris, his intention could never be realized.[citation needed]
The wealth and influence of the abbey extended to many daughter foundations, including St Michael's Mount inCornwall. Its popularity and prestige as a centre ofpilgrimage waned with theReformation, and by the time of theFrench Revolution there were scarcely any monks in residence. The abbey was closed and converted into a prison, initially to hold clerical opponents of the republican regime. High-profile political prisoners followed. By 1836, influential figures—includingVictor Hugo—had launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure. The prison was closed in 1863.
In 1872, French architect of historic monumentsÉdouard Corroyer was responsible for assessing the condition of Mont-Saint-Michel. It took him about two years to convince his minister to classify it as a historic monument, and it was officially declared as such in 1874. From then on Corroyer, a member of theAcademy of Fine Arts, devoted fifteen years of his life to the restoration of "la Merveille". Under his direction, gigantic works were undertaken, starting with the most urgent. He wrote four works on the building.[citation needed]
During the occupation of France inWorld War II, German soldiers occupied Mont-Saint-Michel, where they used St. Aubert church as a lookout post. The island was a major attraction for German tourists and soldiers, with around 325,000 German tourists from July 18, 1940, to the end of the occupation of France.
After theAllies' initialD-Day invasion of Normandy that began on June 6, 1944, many exhausted German soldiers retreated to strongholds like Mont-Saint-Michel. On August 1, 1944, a single American soldier – Private Freeman Brougher of Pennsylvania and the 72nd Publicity Service Battalion – reached and liberated Mont-Saint-Michel accompanied by two British reporters,Gault MacGowan of theNew York Sun and Paul Holt with theLondon Daily Express. Jubilant crowds of locals greeted Brougher, Holt and MacGowan, and Brougher signed the Golden Book, the island's record of visiting nobility, at the mayor's invitation. The abbey was also used as a prison for the first time since the French Revolution when male collaborators with the Germans were jailed there.[20][21]
Mont-Saint-Michel andits bay were added to the UNESCO list ofWorld Heritage Sites in 1979, listed with criteria such as cultural, historical, and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty.[8]
Mont Saint Michel in 2023
In June 2023, President Emmanuel Macron visited Mont-Saint-Michel to mark the 1,000-year anniversary of the abbey. He stated that the changes since the hydraulic dam and the new bridge opened have lessened the silting, making it an island again.[22]
In the 11th century,William of Volpiano, the Italian architect who had builtFécamp Abbey in Normandy, was chosen byRichard II, Duke of Normandy, to be the building contractor. He designed theRomanesque church of the abbey, daringly placing thetransept crossing at the top of the mount. Many undergroundcrypts and chapels had to be built to compensate for this weight. These formed the basis for the supportive upward structure that can be seen today. Today Mont-Saint-Michel is seen as a building of Romanesque architecture.
Robert de Thorigny, a great supporter ofHenry II of England, who was alsoDuke of Normandy, reinforced the structure of the buildings and built the main façade of the church in the 12th century. In 1204,Guy of Thouars, regent for theDuchess of Brittany, asvassal of the King of France, undertook a siege of the Mount. After setting fire to the village and massacring the population, he beat a retreat under the powerful walls of the abbey. The fire which he lit extended to the buildings, and the roofs fell prey to the flames. Horrified by the cruelty of his Breton ally,Philip Augustus offered Abbot Jordan a grant for the reconstruction of the abbey in the newGothic architectural style.[23]
Charles VI is credited with adding major fortifications to the abbey-mount, building towers, successive courtyards, and strengthening the ramparts.
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) are counted only once. Source: EHESS[25] andInsee[26]
Since June 2001, following the appeal addressed to them in 2000 byJacques Fihey, Bishop of Coutances and Avranches,[27] a community of monks and nuns of theMonastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, sent from the mother-house ofSt-Gervais-et-St-Protais in Paris, have been living as a community on Mont-Saint-Michel. They replaced the Benedictine monks who returned to the mount in 1966. They are tenants of the centre for national monuments and are not involved in the management of the abbey.
The community has seven sisters and four brothers. Their life revolves around prayer, work and fraternal life.[27] The community meets four times a day to recite the liturgical office in the abbey, or in the crypt of Notre-Dame des Trente Cierges in winter. In 2012, the community undertook the renovation of a house on the mount, the Logis Saint-Abraham, which is used as a guest house for pilgrims on retreat.
In summer, dolphins from the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean follow the ocean currents to play around the local fishermen's traditional boats, the famous motorised barquettes. These small boats are about 5 metres long and 2 metres wide, typically with low-powered motors. The rotation of their propellers makes a smooth current attractive to the dolphins. Also, dolphins which have a very good memory know that the fishermen around the Mont-Saint-Michel are friendly to them and never harmful. Due to this, these dolphins approach the boats and play around them, offering a splendid spectacle.[28][29]
The Mont-Saint-Michel has long been dominated by a handful of families which shared the businesses in the town and ran the village administration. Tourism is almost the sole source of income of the commune, bringing US$63 million to the small island in 2014.[30] There are about 50 shops for three million tourists. The island is also home to four museums, showcasing the history, culture, and heritage of Mont-Saint-Michel.[31] About 25 people sleep every night on the mount, monks included, except for those in hotels. There are 132 hotel rooms within the island's walls.[9] The main institutions are shared by:
Eric Vannier, owner of the groupMère Poulard (holding half of restaurants, shops, hotels and three museums);
Jean-Yves Vételé, CEO of Sodetour (five hotels, a supermarket and shops—all extramural—including Mercury Barracks);
Patrick Gaul, former elected official, hotelier and intramural restaurateur;
Independent merchants.
Overtourism is a problem for Mont-Saint-Michel, exacerbated by tourists mostly visiting on day-trips, which causes overcrowding from 10:00 to 16:00, especially in the summer. The Mont-Saint-Michel foundation has introduced measures to change this pattern and reduce daytime overcrowding, including by introducing free parking after 18:30, except during July and August.[9]
Historically, Mont-Saint-Michel was the Norman counterpart ofSt Michael's Mount inCornwall,England, which was given to theBenedictines, the religious order of Mont-Saint-Michel, byEdward the Confessor in the 11th century. The two mounts share the same tidal island characteristics and a similar conical shape, though Mont-Saint-Michel is much taller.[35]
During themedieval period, pilgrims walked from Italy, Germany and England, as well as other parts of France. Such devotees were known as Miquelots. Modern pilgrims can follow the same routes. Ten hiking trails have been created that enable pilgrims from various European countries to retrace the path their ancestors may have taken during a medieval pilgrimage.[36]
Mont-Saint-Michel is aWorld Wonder inCivilization VI.[39] Mont-Saint-Michel is featured inOnimusha 3: Demon Siege in which the abbey is overrun by demons in both the 16th and 21st centuries and subsequently destroyed.
A fictionalized version of the island, Beaumont-Saint-Denis, serves as the location forSniper Elite 5's third mission.[40] The castle is also the inspiration for the site of the climactic final battle in the air combat video gameThe Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, in which it is an abandoned enemy fortress with still-operational anti-air turrets. It also inspires the castle that appears on the cover art of the 1997 video game: Castlevania Symphony of the Night andDark Souls' New Londo Ruins.[41]
Mont-Saint-Michel serves as an area in Country of the Musketeers in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, where Sora and the Three Musketeers composed of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy attempt to rescue Princess Minnie from Pete.[42]
The map "Corrode" introduced in June 2025 inValorant takes inspiration from Mont-Saint-Michel.[43]
American musician Quadeca featured the island in the music video for his song AT A TIME LIKE THIS.[44] The song was included on his 2025 visual albumVanisher, Horizon Scraper.
^ab"Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay".UNESCO World Heritage List. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. 13 December 2006.Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved31 May 2011.
^Chantal Bonnot-Courtois, La Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel et l'estuaire de la Rance: environnements sédimentaires, aménagements et évolution récente. Editor Technip. 2002. pp. 15–20.
^Olive, Noemie (5 June 2023)."New dam saved France's Mont-Saint-Michel island status, Macron says".Reuters. Retrieved8 August 2023.Macron said a new hydraulic dam project started in 1995 and completed in 2015 was now proving it is able to gradually flush sand out of the bay. "In just a few years, the silting up of the bay has been stopped and we have restored the possibility of an island," Macron said.
^Adams, Henry (1913).Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres: A Study of Thirteenth-Century Unity. Boston:Houghton Mifflin. pp. 37–38.
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