The Mont-Saint-Michel abbey has a long and complex history. "The island was originally called Mont-Tombe but became known as Mont-Saint-Michel in the 8th century, when St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, built an oratory there after having a vision of the archangel St. Michael. It rapidly became a pilgrimage centre, and in 966 a Benedictine abbey was built there. In 1203 it was partly burned when King Philip II of France tried to capture the mount. He compensated the monks by paying for the construction of the monastery known as La Merveille ('The Wonder')." Source: Encyclopedia Britannica.
"The island, which was fortified in 1256, resisted sieges during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France (1337–1453) and the French Wars of Religion (1562–98). The monastery declined in the 18th century, and only seven monks were living there when it was dissolved during the French Revolution (1787–99). It became a state prison under Napoleon I (reigned 1804–14/15) and remained a prison until 1863. In 1874 it was classified as a historic monument and restored."
"Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour de force, having had to adapt to the problems posed by this unique natural site." Source: UNESCO World Heritage List.
The design of the abbey and surrounding architecture reflects the "the structural hierarchy of feudal society," according to Five-Minute History. "On top, there is God, then the abbey and monastery; below this, the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom, outside the walls, the fishermen's and farmers’ housing."
Mont Saint-Michel was evacuated this weekend following a nebulous threat that was probably a false alarm. According to Reuters, "French authorities said they would reopen [the site] on Sunday [4/22/18] after calling off an alert caused by a man threatening the police." At this point, it's unclear what happened (if anything), but "[t]he local government earlier evacuated the major tourist attraction after a local bar owner heard the man uttering threats at the site in the northwestern region of Normandy." According to the Daily Mail, the man got off a tourist shuttle and was apparently trying to start some kind of street performance when he got into an argument with a passer-by and lost his temper, triggering an anti-terror operation that stood down after a few hours.
Thanks to the French government's moronic and self-destructive immigration policies, sites like Mont Saint-Michel with their crowds of tourists have become prime targets for terrorists and have to be guarded by armed police and soldiers. In the case of this iconic abbey, the new security measures were put into effect just last year:
"Mont Saint-Michel, one of France's most popular tourist destinations, is set to have an armed police presence from December this year [2017] in response to the threat of potential terror attacks." Source: The Local (Sept. 2017).
"Visitors to tourist attractions in Paris are used to the site of armed soldiers and police and the same will soon be true for those visiting Mont Saint-Michel off the coast off Normandy."