The worship of Saint Michel was introduced on the Mount in 708, and it became one of the most important places of medieval pilgrimage. Benedictine monks started building an abbey here in the 10th century.
 
Withstanding the assaults of man, time and the elements. The heroic resistance of the Mount to English attacks during the Hundred Years’ War (14th and 15th centuries) made it a symbol of French national identity. Monks left the abbey in 1790, and it was listed as a historic monument in 1874. The whole site has been returned to its former glory thanks to on-going restoration work.