27 – The Doors…

In To The abbey

Have you heard of Project Gutenberg? Johannes Gutenberg is of course widely acknowledged as the father of the printed word. The eponymously named Project has a simple mission – to encourage the creation and distribution of e-books.  Amongst the volumes available for download from this source is a fascinating and detailed glimpse into the past of Mont St Michel from the American journalist, historian and academic Henry Brooks Adams (February 16, 1838 – March 27, 1918). If you appreciate poetic, fine and slightly archaic writing it’s worth taking a look at this work.

Why do I mention this? Coincidentally during this trip to France I was to visit two very different places of Christian worship – the Mont and Chartres Cathedral. I went to Chartres principally to view the magnificent stained glass art of the cathedral windows – acknowledged to be amongst the finest in the world.  Adams’ work by coincidence is titled “Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres” and he well illustrates through his writing how very different in character these two destinations are. Having already enjoyed the splendour and colour of the windows Chartres, the simplicity of the work found in the abbey of Mont St Michel is a marked contrast in style. And yet it is also very much in keeping with the monastic atmosphere of the island. 

We entered the abbey door. A hush fell on the crowd. Before us lay the towering transept of the abbey at Mont St Michel.  It was a lot to take in.