
The Benedictine monks, under the watchful eyes of Richard I (r. 954-986 CE) gave the orders for the issuing of a charter on Mont-Saint Michel, specifying Norman interests and dominance in the establishment of a Benedictine community on the island. Norman domination of Mont-Saint-Michel commenced in 966 CE when Lothair I of France (r.

(In 1318 CE, 30 pilgrims died when trying to reach Mont-Saint-Michel, and in modern times, organized rescues of tourists and pilgrims remain alarmingly common.) The crossing itself could be a deadly enterprise as one had to wait until low tide, and only then could pilgrims traverse the mud to reach Mont-Saint-Michel.

In the Middle Ages, pilgrims had to cross 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of water in order to reach the island, which is a full 5 kilometers farther out into the English Channel than it is today. The tides in and around Mont-Saint-Michel are among the most dramatic in Europe - they can vary by as much as 15 m (49 ft) depending on the time of year and prevailing weather conditions. Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island, meaning that it was once connected to the French mainland. Mont-Saint-Michel covers an area of only 7 ha (17 acres) in area, and the island's circumference covers some 960 m (3,150 ft) while its tallest point is 92 m (302 ft) above sea level. The island of Mont-Saint-Michel is situated 1 km (0.6 miles) off the northwestern coast of France and it is situated 66 km north of Rennes and 52 kilometres east of St. Aptly called the “Wonder of the West", Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 CE, and the island's abbey is one of France's most popular sites with over 3 millions visitors per year.

While the island of Mont-Saint-Michel has held cultural, religious, and strategic value since the Merovingians held power over the region, Mont-Saint-Michel is universally recognized today as the site of a beautiful Gothic-style Benedictine abbey, which was constructed from the 11-16th centuries CE and dedicated to the Archangel St.

Mont-Saint-Michel is the name of a tidal island located off the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, near the mouths of the Couesnon River and the town of Avranches in France.
