The city of Villedieu-les-Poêles was founded in 1130. The city still preserves the
historical middle age streets.
In the main square the church of Villedieu-les-Poêles is entirely built in Granite.
From simple Chapel in the XII century, it quickly turned into Gothic Church in the XIII century.
The Church was completed in the XVII century.
|
|
|
Pont-de-l'Arche was founded in the IX century by Charles le
Chauves (Charles the Bald One) as defence fortress against invasions by the Normans.
The construction of the bridge over the Seine, to block the passage of the invaders boats, began
in the year 862. The construction of the bridge was completed 4 years later.
The bridge will then be demolished in 1856. |
The church of St. Vigor has been entirely been reconstructed
in the XVI century.
In this church two architectural styles are found: Gothic and Renaissance.
Worthy of it notices the glass door of the southern wing where we can find a beautiful
representation of the multiplication of the breads and the fishes. |
|
 |
In 1190 Richard Lionheart was hunting near Maresdans. He risked drowning in the Seine
River while it was on the pursuit of a buck. Grateful of the escaped danger, he ordered to
built, in the point he succeeded to get ashore, an abbey of the order of St. Benoît.
The abbey was named Bonport in memory of this adventure.
In the photo the abbey of Bonport near Pont-de-l'Arche.
|
The Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky islet near the Northern coast of France, where the river
Couesnon flows.
Aubert, bishop of Avranches, saw the Archangel Michel in a dream and on his request he built
a chapel in this place in 708.
The native name in Latin it was Mons Sancti Michaeli in periculo marieas "Mount St. Michael
to the danger of the sea."
Currently the Mont Saint-Michel constitutes the natural center of the commune of Le
Mont-Saint-Michel (department of the Manche, administrative region of Low Normandy).
A hyphen allows to differentiate between the commune and the islet: according to the official
nomenclature of the INSEE the administrative unity calls (Le) Mont-Saint-Michel, while the
islet has called Mont Saint-Michel.
The notable architecture of the sanctuary and the bay in which the islet rises with its tides
make this the most visited tourist site in Normandy and one of the first ones of the whole of
France, with around 3.200.000 visitors every year. Numerous buildings of the islet are
individually classified as historical monuments and the whole site it is classified as such
since 1987. Since 1979 it has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. |
 |
|
|
