42 – The Trapdoor…

In The floor…      

I often do get sidetracked by small details in buildings, and these trapdoors in the floors of the various halls and rooms of the Marvel (here in the Knights’ Chamber) caught my attention. Made of solid oak, as is much of the woodwork in the abbey they have the glowing patina of centuries of wear on them. But what was their purpose? One of our party suggested there had probably been a gallows above them – an unlikely use I thought despite the knowledge that for part of its history the Mont had served as a prison. Hanging, after the invention of the guillotine, was not a widely used method of execution in France. I had seen a similar covered aperture in the Petit Trianon in Versailles, which was used to deliver food from the kitchen below the Queen’s dining room without the need for lowly kitchen staff to enter the presence of Royalty. However although the ‘class system’ was indeed adhered to in the Marvel, no kichen lay below this level and location of the building, besides which the height and function of the rooms below discounted that idea too. The size of the opening (perhaps a metre square at most) precluded their use for furniture removal, and so the only possible answer can be that they served for either temporary access to the lower chambers or for the delivery of building materials, or even timber used to construct refectory tables in situ.

The oak fixtures around the abbey are details not to be missed. Although not grown in the immediate region, much oak is still brought to Normandy – the well known local apple brandy – Calvados – is aged in casks of (usually Limousin) oak.

22 – At the church doors…

The clergy

It is hard to pinpoint just where the ambience of Mont St Michel begins to alter, but there is a definite change of feeling and mood as you ascend from the town towards the abbey. It is in part fostered by the architectural changes I have mentioned before and obviously also by the changing purpose of the buildings from commercial, to residential and finally to the three storied Marvel, centre of the mount. Somehow conversation becomes quieter and less intrusive. There are no signs requesting this, it simply seems to be a universal reaction to the space.  I am not a deeply religious person myself, certainly not in a conventionally ecclesiastical way but here I finally understood the spiritual use of the word celestial. Mont St Michel is that – celestial.

At the door to the church a trio of a priest and two nuns were engaged in one of those hushed conversations - a certain indication that we were close to the entrance to the Abbey. Perhaps they are resident members of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, the incumbent Catholic order resident on Mont St Michel.  You will notice the careful reconstruction work on the masonry at the base of the pillars, and once again the splendid ironwork of the door hinges.

The main part of the tour was about to commence.

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.

17 – The Marvellous …

Merveille

In French they call it simply Merveille, which translates into English as the Marvel or The Wonder. Mont St Michel in its entirety is often (perhaps confusingly) dubbed the “merveille de l’ouest” (the Wonder of the West). So what exactly should we expect when visiting the Merveille?

Most simply explained it is the core of buildings which formed the original (circa 1228) monastery - six tiered magnificent halls added to the then existing church. Predominantly built in the Gothic architectural style they combine the outward strength of a fortress with the plainness of their original religious intentions.  Built on three levels (our guide explained) the lowest level of the Marvel was the place for the pilgrims and the bourgeoisie coming to pay homage to St Michel. They had their own chapel and rooms as well as plentiful accommodation in the town buildings we have already seen in passing. The middle level was inhabited by nobility and royalty, whilst the upper level of the abbey and cloisters was the preserve of the clergy, those closest to their God.  If today that seems like a class system - indeed it was. And despite the often quoted divine rights of kings the power, wealth and influence of the church should not be underestimated.

This name – whether you choose Merveille,  or Wonder,  or Marvel - seems apt, as the soaring edifices of its construction dominate the Mount, from that first inland approach, all through the climb up its 900 or so steps, right to the top. It was Victor Hugo who was recorded in 1865 as having said, " Le Mont Saint-Michel apparaît … comme une chose sublime, une pyramide merveilleuse." Undoubtedly that is not the first nor last use of that adjective applied to the Mont for an often read analogy is that Mont St Michel is to the sea what the Great Pyramid of Cheops is to the desert.

I couldn’t put it any better myself. 

And still we climbed.

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.

09 – Behold

A tower

Mont St Michel has turrets …. and towers … and then it has TOWERS. That the word has both noun and verb forms in English is convenient, for indeed the many towers of the fortifications, and the Marvel do just that, above the visitor. My first encounter with an outlook tower occurred setting out on the walk from the Burghers Guardhouse at the entrance up towards the lower streets of the town nestled at the foot of the abbey at the summit.

Around the lower ramparts of the citadel are a number of these smaller fortified turrets, and they are quite imposing. Built of granite rock typical of the stone used in construction on the Mount, you will notice the long embrasures or arrow loops first used by archers in mediaeval times and later by artillery soldiers. These turrets were part of the lower defence system of the island.

As I had found in Paris, my visit to the mount was going to be one filled with the most amazing photo opportunities. Thank goodness this time for digital technology. I only hoped my batteries would last throughout the day. (They did).