1 – Mont St. Michel

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Le Mont St. Michel, Normandy

An island commune in Normandy, France.  Located 1 km off the country’s north west coast, it is situated at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches, and is approximately 247 acres in area, with a population of 44.

It has been a strategic fortification since ancient times, and has been a monastery since the 8th century  (Benedictine in the 11th century).  The Mont remained unconquered during the Hundred Years’ War, having defended itself successfully against a full scale attack by the English in 1433.  During the Ancien Regime Louis XI turned the Mont into a prison.