Lolo's morning started out like any other day, searching through warehouses hoping to find a treasure trove of French antiques. He managed to find a few new dealers and drove away with some beautiful pieces.
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| Louis XV Table with Cabriole Legs Ending in Pied de Biche |
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| Antique French Grandfather Clocks |
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| Hand Carved French Gueridon |
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| Louis XV Wing Back Bergeres |
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| Louis XV Enfilade |
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| Henri II Leather Armchairs |
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| Antique Wooden French Planter |
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| Louis XV Cabinet |
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| Louis XV Chest |
As he was off to his final destination, Lolo found himself near Mont Saint-Michel. Known as the Merveille de l’Occident (Wonder of the West), it's one of France's most iconic sights.
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| Mont Saint-Michel in the distance. |
Lolo had always heard of the rocky islet and its tides, but had never been there. He decided to take some time off (something he's learning to do a little more often) and do some sight seeing. And WOW...what a sight to see!
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| Mont Saint-Michel |
Mont Saint-Michel takes you back to the Middle Ages with its amazing architecture set against a backdrop of the area's incredible tides.
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| Mont Saint-Michel forms a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe. |
The actual abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is the reason to visit. Surrounded by rock, the abbey provides insight into religious life through 1000 years of architecture. It’s been an important pilgrimage center since 709 A.D.
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| The Abbey |
According to legend, the Archangel Michael told Saint-Aubert, the local Bishop of Avranches, to “build here and build high.” Saint-Aubert built and consecrated a small church on October 16, 709. Archangel Michael reassured the bishop, “If you build it...they will come.” In 966 A.D., a community of Benedictine monks settled on the rock at the request of the Duke of Normandy and the Carolingian church named Chapelle Notre-Dame-sous-Terre (Our Lady underground) was built on the grounds of the oratory erected by Saint-Aubert in the early VIIIth century. Today's abbey is built on the remains of this pre-Romanesque church. Saint-Michel, whose gilded statue decorates the top of the abbey’s spire, was the patron saint of many French kings, making this a favored sight for French royalty through the ages.
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The Archangel Michel by sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet sits atop the neo-gothic spire,
rising over 550 feet above sea level, that was added in 1896.
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The abbey was closed in 1791 and used as a prison during the French Revolution. Napoleon finally shut down the prison in 1863 after several influential figures, including Victor Hugo, launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a national architectural treasure. An extensive restoration was required. The abbey was turned over to the Historic Monuments department in 1874 and has been open to the public year round since then. The setting and fine architecture make it one of the major monuments for visitors in France.
Tomorrow, Lolo takes us through a maze of narrow streets leading through areas of shops, restaurants, and hotels. He'll show us the windlass, installed during the use of the site as a prison, which six workers once powered hamster-style to haul two-ton loads of stones and supplies from the landing below. We'll take a look at the beautiful architecture of Mont Saint-Michel and the little village that flourishes on the rock.
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| Lolo and the Windlass |
Á Bientôt!
Lolo & Mimi
