PONTORSON - A BRIEF HISTORY

Charles, King of France, gave to the chief Viking, Rollon, a region called Neustrie, today known as Normandie.  That was the beginning of fierce battles between the Normans and Bretons.

In 1030, Robert le Diable charged captain Normand Orson with building a bridge, connecting banks of Couesnon. This bridge marked the limit of the two provinces of Brittany and Normandy, and the starting point of a strengthened city which took the name of Pontorson.

Within Pontorson, you will appreciate the very beautiful church, Église Notre-Dame, built as far back as the year 1050, whose frontage with the two Roman towers is unique in Europe. One also finds in this building the first examples of the Gothic style.

In 1590, Gabriel II of Montgomery built a Protestant Temple, in which today are regular histroical or artistic exhibitions.

In direction of the Mount, within Rue Saint Michel stands a very beautiful 15th century house, with warheads in blocked arcades and with stone embelishments, which was the residence of family GUISCHARD de la Ménardière.

Pontorson marks also the starting point, after weeks of conflicts, the advance of the army of Patton in 1944. The combat of Pontaubault and Mortain. Two close military sites remind us of the history.

MONT ST MICHEL - A BRIEF HISTORY

The Wonder of the Western World forms a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe.

It was at the request of the Archangel Michel that Aubert, Bishop of Avranches built and consecrated a small church on the 16th October 709. In 966 a community of Benedictines settled on the rock at the request of the Duke of Normandy and the pre-Romanesque church was built before the year one thousand.

In the 11th century, the Romanesque abbey church was founded over a set of crypts where the rock comes to an apex, and the first monastery buildings were built up against its north wall.

In the 12th century, the Romanesque monastery buildings were extended to the west and south.

In the 13th century , a donation by the king of France, Philip Augustus , in the wake of his conquest of Normandy, enabled a start to be made on the Gothic section of the "Merveille ": two three-storey buildings, crowned by the cloister and the refectory.

In the 14th century, the Hundred Years War made it necessary to protect the abbey behind a set of military constructions, enabling it to hold out against a siege lasting 30 years.

In the 15th century, the Romanesque chancel of the abbey church, broken down in 1421 was replaced by the Gothic Flamboyant chancel.

With Rome and Saint Jacques de Compostelle, this great spiritual and intellectual centre, was one of the most important places of pilgrimage for the Medieval occident. For nearly one thousand years men, women and children went there by roads called 'paths to paradise' hoping for the assurance of eternity, given by the Archangel of judgement.

The Abbey was turned into a prison during the days of the French Revolution and Empire, and needed to be restored before the end of the 19th century.

With the celebration of the monastic's 1000th anniversary,in the year 1966 a religious community moved back to what used to be the abbatial dwellings, perpuating prayer and welcome the original vocation of this place. Friars and sisters from "Les Fraternités Monastiques de Jerusalem" have been ensuring a spiritual presence since the year 2001.

At the same time as the abbey was developing a village grew up from the Middle Age. It flourished on the south-east side of the rock surrounded by walls dated for the most part from the Hundred Years war. This village has always a commercial vocation.

UNESCO has classed the Mont Saint-Michel as a world heritage in 1979 and this mecca of tourism welcomes more than three million visitors a year.

Home  ~  Brief History of Pontorson   ~  Brief History of Mont Saint Michel