28 – From the nave…

The transept

With St Michel watching over the altar we faced the elaborate Gothic transept crossing and the apse. Reputedly based on the Abbey of St Ouen in Rouen, this part of the abbey emulates the best in Gothic architecture. While the exterior of this section of the building is decidedly flamboyant with flying buttresses and lace like tracery, there is a simplicity to the interior that somehow enhances and highlights the few decorative elements of detail in the stone carving surrounding the second and third tiers of the chancel windows. Likened by some  to a glass cage, light streams in from the windows of the chapels off the surrounding ambulatory behind the rear chancel arches. The central chapel directly behind the altar is that of Notre Dame. The height of the vaulting in the chancel is simply staggering and the contrasting colour of supporting stone piers serves to attract the eye to this. Once again the interior of the chancel's appearance belies the exterior forest of stone enabling it to stand erect - a testament to the architectural genius that designed it.

This sight must surely awaken any latent seeds of spirituality in even the least devout. Those more so spontaneously genuflected and began to pray.

I stood in awe.

19 – Entry gained …

beyond the gate

Once beyond the Barbican there is a notable change in architectural style. The comparative simplicity of mediaeval Romanesque gives way to a gothic style that is considerably more romantic, considerably more decorative and somehow more suited to its glorious purpose. This is not surprising, for (like Rome) Mont St Michel was not built in a day. We had already seen in the town how reconstruction and restoration of the inns and houses had resulted in half timbered construction being replaced with stonewall techniques, and hearing the history of the Abbey – the buildings of the Abbey, churches and the Marvel span a couple of centuries, both in terms of original and replacement construction - I guess the transitions are to be expected. I admire the way the French are able to combine styles of architecture that should not work together but which, in their capable hands, do. Perhaps the best example of this is the Louvre Palace in Paris, where elements embodying all of these styles and then the added modernity of Pei’s contemporary transparent pyramids combine to create a harmonious whole. I know some opinions differ on the success of this, but to me it works.

Still towering above the visitor these embellished walls, with their buttresses and gargoyled drainage systems encourage you to continue that climb to the summit. You cannot help but wonder how the builders managed to raise the heavy stone blocks used up such heights, capping the underlying base rock on which the Marvel and abbey sit. This question would be revealed as the tour progressed.

Again my group had moved out of sight.  It was time once more to catch up.

13 – Out of Town

And going up ...

Catching up with the tour party, we had left the (now) commercial part of the town and had started past the stone houses and buildings on the way to the great outer staircase leading to the abbey.  The stonework in the buildings is decidedly the output of artisan masons, for it is amazing how regularly cut the stones appear to be, and the arched decorative motifs provide relief to the otherwise solid façades.  The window frames I noticed are mainly steel, indicating probably fairly recent replacement. An occasional half timbered house front can still be seen, I was told these are surviving remainders of the earlier and more original island houses, but could not find out what lies beyond their walls nowadays.

It is evident from both the weathering and construction techniques used that the walls of the ramparts of the mount predate the stonework of the buildings. These rampart walls are largely part of the fifteenth century defence system built around the town, supported by and incorporating the many towers and watchtowers such as the one we saw here earlier on our walk. Embrasures and arrow loops give way to wider openings allowing for the use of heavier artillery and cannons in defence – for it was now not just uprisings amongst the local population that Mont Saint Michel needed to defend itself against. Repeated attempts at invasion by the British starting in the fourteenth century demanded increasing the strength of fortifications, as did the later wars of religion when Protestants would attack this Catholic stronghold.

And looming ever present, visible from every angle is the Marvel – the Church and Abbey of St Michel. 

The climb continued.