The Island and The Sea .... Brief Description Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour de force, having had to adapt to the problems posed by this unique natural site. __________________________ For Further References, see the following websites: http://vinz1966.free.fr/En/Sommaire.htm ...... for the following interactive pages: Visit to the Abbey (in three areas .... 1st Level, Intermediate Level and Top Level), History of the Abbey, Chronology, (1200 years), Glossary, Links and References http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=80 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint_Michel ___________________________

The Town Before The Abbey....... the town with shops ans cafes cater for the crowds of people going through the Abbey .... ___________________________

Exterior Buildings ..... _________________________

The Interior of Mont -Saint - Michel ..... _________________________

The Exterior Garden .......

The Interior Courtyard ...... About the garden, we know that various establishment experiences have been tempted in the course of centuries but it seems that problems of waterproofness have always aborted the project. The garden we admire today was built during the restoration of 1965. Suspended between sky and earth, the effect is emphasized by the triple open bay in the west wall, which was probably used, originally, to communicate with the third building of The Merveille that was never built. ______________________