The island itself is a granite formation
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 6:37 am
According to legend, in 708, Archangel Michael appeared three times to Saint Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, with the order to build a temple on the rock. The bishop was not sure that he had understood the instructions correctly and was slow in starting construction. Only after Michael appeared for the third time and burned his cassock with a sword (according to another version of the legend, he tapped his head with his finger), the bishop ordered the construction of the temple to begin.
The monumental monastery complex rises 79 m above sea level. with a diameter of about 930 meters.
Saint Michel France
A unique feature of this area is the strongest tides on special database entire European coast. During low tide, the water can retreat from the shores of the island of Saint-Michel by 18 kilometers. The maximum speed of the tide can reach 6.12 km/h, and its maximum height reaches 14 meters. This natural feature has contributed to monastic solitude for centuries and protected the island from enemies. At one time, even Victor Hugo himself warned everyone wishing to visit the island about the dangerous speed of its tides. It was believed that the tides here approach with the speed of a galloping horse.
As the Archangel pointed out, the original temple was built in the form of a grotto, which depicted the cave where Michael appeared. Only one wall of this temple building has survived to this day. For two centuries, the island was a popular place of pilgrimage. The Benedictine abbey built here in the 11th-16th centuries has an area of 55 thousand m 2 , and is an example of medieval architecture.
The monumental monastery complex rises 79 m above sea level. with a diameter of about 930 meters.
Saint Michel France
A unique feature of this area is the strongest tides on special database entire European coast. During low tide, the water can retreat from the shores of the island of Saint-Michel by 18 kilometers. The maximum speed of the tide can reach 6.12 km/h, and its maximum height reaches 14 meters. This natural feature has contributed to monastic solitude for centuries and protected the island from enemies. At one time, even Victor Hugo himself warned everyone wishing to visit the island about the dangerous speed of its tides. It was believed that the tides here approach with the speed of a galloping horse.
As the Archangel pointed out, the original temple was built in the form of a grotto, which depicted the cave where Michael appeared. Only one wall of this temple building has survived to this day. For two centuries, the island was a popular place of pilgrimage. The Benedictine abbey built here in the 11th-16th centuries has an area of 55 thousand m 2 , and is an example of medieval architecture.