Mont-Saint-Michel and Sacred Mountains around the World
It's hard to believe it's been thirteen centuries since the archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches in Normandy and instructed him to build a church on the rocky tidal islet then known as Mont Tombe. The church was consecrated a year later, in 709, after monks brought back relics of the archangel from Monte Gargano in Italy.
To celebrate the 13th centenary of the founding of Mont-Saint-Michel, The Centre des monuments nationaux is presenting a major photo exibit of sacred mountain sites displayed both inside and outside the abbey church on Mont-Saint-Michel. They've called it "Between Earth and Heaven: Mont-Saint-Michel and sacred mounts around the world" and it plays from the 2nd of June to the 11th of November in the abbey church capping Mont-Saint-Michel.
According to the Centre: Over 150 photographs are on display at the abbey church. The staging makes full use of the church’s architecture to create links among the different holy sites. Visitors are taken along the routes followed by pilgrims, discover local religious rites and ceremonies, the architecture of the shrines and the daily life of worshipers.
You can order tickets online for the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel and other monuments in France.
Spiritual pilgrimage has both created and preserved some of the most compelling destination sites in Europe. If a traveler to a county simply marked the pilgrimage routes on a map and visited the major centers, she'd find that an excellent vacation had already been planned for her. After all, pilgrimage brought not only churches and inns to the route, but trade in both ideas and goods. It is this interchange which makes a place grow up to be strong and good.
Comments
Mt. St Michel’s is the most beautiful experience, not only for the scenery around it, but for the Mt. itself. Anyone who is near the area should make a detour and visit this lovely area. I stumbled upon it when visiting WW2 beaches, and have remembered it in my heart every since. Some touristy sales going on, but over all, a unique experience.