A Tale of Two Islands

A Tale of Two Islands begins with Mont-Saint-Michel, an ethereal granite outcrop rising dramatically from the tidal bay where Brittany meets Normandy. Across the Channel, its spiritual twin stands on England’s shore, mirroring its form and purpose.

Legend has it that in the 8th century, Michael appeared to Aubert, the bishop of nearby Avranches, and instructed him to build a chapel on the island. Aubert hesitated at first, but on the third apparition, the angel pressed his finger to Aubert’s skull, leaving a hole that is said to be visible still in relics of Aubert’s skull in Avranches).

Shortly afterwards, the first sanctuary was consecrated in 709. Construction of the magnificent Benedictine abbey we see today began in 1204. Its north and south wings, ingeniously engineered to rise in tiers on the steep, rocky pinnacle, are known as La Merveille (The Marvel). It’s reached via a winding road lined with cafés and souvenir shops. Though Mount-Saint-Michel is still an active religious site, most of its pilgrims are tourists.

Cornish Counterpart

Sitting in the tides off the Cornish coast 320km away is St Michael’s Mount. Its history dates back to 495, when an apparition of St Michael guided sailors away from alluring mermaids and the isle’s jagged shores. Monks and pilgrims were drawn to the sacred site and a small chapel was built in the archangel’s honour. The mystical St Michael’s Mount and Mont-Saint-Michel share similarities in their names, their secluded seaside settings and their raison d’être. Both islets are cut off from the mainland at high tide and connected by a causeway at low tide. Their most important connection is that both were affiliated with the same religious order and served as places of pilgrimage dedicated to St Michael.

Both were connected in spirit after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, when William the Conqueror supported the Cornish priory, establishing links with Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy. Benedictine monks from Mont-Saint-Michel were sent to England, where they built a priory on the distant shore. The connection with the abbey in Normandy weakened during later conflicts between England and France. In the early 15th century, King Henry V took control of St Michael’s Mount.

Islet Life

The abbey on Mont-Saint-Michel is a larger and more impressive example of Gothic architecture than its British counterpart, a more modest castle maintained by the National Trust in partnership with the St Aubyn family, who have lived on the island since the early 1600s. Mont-Saint-Michel was declared a French historic monument in the 19th century and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Both sites have a smattering of residents. St Michael’s Mount is home to a close-knit community that helps maintain the site. Mont-Saint-Michel is home to a handful of monks and nuns and has its own mayor and postal service, but most of the island’s inhabitants work in tourism, catering to the three million or so visitors who come each year.

Lead photo credit : Mont Saint-Michel