Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel (Mont-Saint-Michel)

The abbey's construction defied medieval engineering limits. Builders erected the church directly on the island's granite peak, but the rock was too small for a full cruciform plan. They solved this by building massive crypts and supporting structures on the sloped sides, effectively creating an artificial platform. The result is a building where the floor of one level serves as the ceiling of another, with the entire complex engineered to bear the weight of the church 80 meters above the bay.

Mont-Saint-Michel remained unconquered throughout the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) despite being surrounded by English-controlled territory. Just 119 knights successfully defended the island against repeated English sieges, aided by the treacherous tides and quicksand that trapped attacking forces. The abbey became a symbol of French resistance, and its defenders were granted the right to add fleur-de-lis to their coat of arms.

The golden statue of Archangel Michael atop the spire was installed in 1897 and stands 4.5 meters tall. Sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet created it to replace an earlier statue destroyed by lightning. The figure depicts Michael slaying the dragon, pointing his sword directly toward Paris. During restoration in 2016, engineers discovered the statue had been leaning 15 degrees off vertical for over a century.