http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint_Michel#Location

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-The extraordinary architecture of the Mont Saint-Michel and its bay make it the most visited place of interest in Normandy and the third in France. Classified as a historic building in 1874.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mont-Saint-Michel-2004.jpg

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(An outlook of the surrounding area)
-The church is crowned by a gold leaf statue reaching a height of 510 feet above the sea.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Montsaintmicheloutlook.jpg

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(The Mont Saint-Michel at sunset time, seen from the causeway)
-The Mount was connected to the mainland via a thin natural land bridge, which before modernization was covered at high tide and revealed at low tide making it a tidal island.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:MSM_sunset.jpg

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(The Mont Saint Michel from the south)
-During the Hundred Years’ War the English made repeated assaults on the island but were unable to seize it partly due to the abbey’s improved fortifications.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mont_Saint_Michel_bordercropped.jpg

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(Plan of the mount)
-An Italian architect, William de Volpiano, was chosen by Richard II of Normandy as building contractor for the mount in the 11th century. Today Mont Saint-Michel is seen as a Gothic-style church. It was an inspiration for the design of Minas Tirith in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King film.*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Plan.mont.Saint.Michel.png
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(The spire of the Mont Saint-Michel is visible from the courtyars outside the abbey)
-The mount is the object of traditional, but nowadays good-humoured, rivalry between Normans and Bretons. Because the river has altered its course over the centuries that the mount is on the Norman side of the frontier.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mont_St._Michel_Spire.JPG

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(the abbey)
-The one hundred year old war made necessary the protection of the abbey by a whole of military constructions. The Romance chorus of the abbey church, ploughed up in 1421 was replaced by the Gothic chorus blazing at the end of the Middle Ages.

-This castle, built high on a rocky peak overlooking the bay, is one of medieval architecture’s greatest achievements. Originally an abbey and destination for Christian pilgrimages, Mont Saint Michel has become a treasure to France. Centered between Normandy and Brittany, Mont Saint Michel combines history and romance to provide everything from ancient stone streets to romantic sunsets. It’s also in a great location. The D-Day beaches lie only 100 kilometers away, and a short journey east will provide a peek at the breathtaking Norman countryside.

-“Wonder of the Occident”, the Mount-Saint-Michel is drawn up with the chorus of an immense bay invaded by more spring tides of Europe. It is at the request of the Archangel Michel, “chief of the celestial militia”, that Aubert, bishop of Avranches built and a first church on October 16, 709 devoted. In 966, at the request of the Duke of Normandy, a community of Benedictines is established on the rock. The church préromane was then high there before the year millet. In XIème century, the Romance abbey church was founded on a whole of crypts, on the level of the point of the rock and the first conventual buildings were coupled with its northern wall. In XIIème century, the Romance conventual buildings were increased in the west and the south. XIIIème century, a donation of king de France Philippe Auguste following the conquest of Normandy, allowed to undertake the Gothic whole of the Wonder: two buildings of three stages crowned by the cloister and the refectory.