The origins of Mont St. Michel date back to the sixth and seventh century A.D. when Armorican Gauls used the island as a stronghold of Breton culture and power. During this time, the island was known as "Monte Tombe". Nestled off the coast of Normandy is Mont-Saint-Michel, a magical site that dates back to the Middle Ages. Wrapped in a picturesque village and topped with a sky-high tower, this tidal island looks like it has been plucked from the pages of a storybook. On a beautiful day in June, we visited the Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey for the very first time. This architectural masterpiece perched on a rocky island in the heart of the bay bears witness to a thousand years of history and deep spirituality. This medieval abbey is much more than just a religious building. The 17th-century cleric Jean Huynes compiled in 1638 a Mont Saint-Michel history as a manuscript, published in book form in 1873, that included the same precise date for the attack: The English, having seen that a fire, on the Monday of Quasimodo, by fortuitous event had reduced to ashes a good part of the village of the Mont … from this they Mont-Saint-Michel, located on the North Coast of Normandy, France is one of the most visited monuments in France. The historical site that has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 comes from the 7th century. In this blog, we explore its history, architecture, and construction. The island was originally called Mont-Tombe but became known as Mont-Saint-Michel in the 8th century, when St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, built an oratory there after having a vision of the archangel St. Michael. It rapidly became a pilgrimage centre, and in 966 a Benedictine abbey was built there. nfUxl7.