Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France at Le Mont-Saint-Michel - Normandy, France
Posted by: neoc1
N 48° 38.100 W 001° 30.670
30U E 609688 N 5387951
The Way of St. James at Le Mont-Saint-Michel is an important historical site on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.
Waymark Code: WMV834
Location: Normandie, France
Date Posted: 03/12/2017
Views: 30
Seventy-eight sites on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France are listed as World Heritage Sites. Le Mont-Saint-Michel is Normandy, France is listed as number 868-023.
The tidal island of Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most iconic and visited places in France. It's narrow streets host over 3 million visitors a year. A 0.5 km causeway connects the island to the mainland. It can be reached by using a free shuttle bus which operated continuously during daylight hours. A bridge connecting the island to the mainland is under construction.
The 247 acre island rises 301 feet above the surrounding bay. It has been a strategic fortified outpost since ancient times. The 8th century Gothic-style Benedictine monastery dedicated to of Archangel Saint Michael occupies the upper reached of the island and can be reached by climbing approximately 300 steps. A small village is contained with the fortified walls at the base of the abbey.
In 933 William I, Duke of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula, making the Mont part of Normandy. In 1067, the monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel supported William of Normandy's claim to the throne of England. As a result it was given properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel. During the Hundred Years' War, the fortified island successfully resisted repeated assaults English assaults on the island.
Type: Site
Reference number: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/868
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