In 2019 a Cornwall Tourism Catalog (South West Attractions and Accommodation Guide) I made a serious mistake by putting up a photo of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy to encourage people to travel to St Michael's Mount in Cornwall. A flagrant failure, but one that we can understand if we have visited these two spectacular works created half by man and nature.
And it is that the similarities between the two constructions are evident, especially taking into account that both were, at some point in their history, abbeys managed by the religious order of the Benedictines.
Today, St Michael's Mount, with its more than 350,000 annual visitors, It has become one of the main tourist attractions in one of the most beautiful regions of the United Kingdom: Cornwall.
Chapel St Michael.
AN ISLAND THAT CAN BE ACCESSED BY BOAT… OR ON FOOT
The silhouette of this hybrid between abbey, monastery, fortified castle and Victorian mansion stands out every sunset perched on top of a granite crag, on one of the 43 British Isles that can be reached on foot from the coast, despite not having any bridge.
Thanks to a centuries-old granite walkway, which appears and disappears according to the capricious swing of the tides, Visitors can reach the island of St Michael's Mount on foot from the small port town of Marazion. This is another of the similarities he has with his Norman brother.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of travelers choose to take one of the many boats that depart every day from the port of Marazion to bring and bring tourists who decide to delve into this little piece of history.
Castle tower St. Michael.
BENEDICTINE ABBEY AND FORTRESS GUARDED BY RICHARD THE LION HEART'S BROTHER
Research archaeological have shown that millennia ago men began to live on the island from St Michael's Mount.
Nevertheless, the history of the current castle dates back to the 8th century , when it is suspected that the monastery was erected which, already in the 11th century, would be ceded by the English king, Edward the Confessor, to the Benedictines.
Since then he has alternated his religious functions with those of strength and family mansion of English nobles. Among its most heroic episodes stands out the siege endured by Prince John – brother of the famous Richard the Lionheart of England – and his knights, or the battles fought here during the Wars of the Roses, the Cornish Rebellion or the English Civil War, in which the supporters of the king had to surrender the fortress, in 1646, to the parliamentarians.
St Michael's Mount would know lasting peace from 1660, when Sir John St Aubyn bought the island. Since then, his heirs have been the owners and have lived there for seasons.
In 1964, much of the island was donated to the National Trust (body in charge of managing British heritage), but the St Aubyn family reserves the exploitation of the tourist business and continues to inhabit part of the castle.
View of St Michael's Castle in Cornwall.
ENTERING THE CASTLE
Considering that wandering alone on the island is not allowed, a guided tour of St Michael's Mount is a must.
This is usually divided into three well-differentiated parts: the castle, the chapel and the beautiful and incredible gardens.
Although some people, lovers of free travel, may find it annoying not being able to explore the island at their own free will, the truth is that The Mount (as the locals call it) is one of those places whose dense history we cannot adequately penetrate unless we are accompanied by someone who unravels it for us.
The boat trip from the port of Marazion to the island takes no more than 5 minutes , counting on a benevolent sea. After passing under the arch of the medieval gate at the entrance, we enter a journey through a world full of curious things.
And it is that in the different rooms of the castle we will find objects as striking as a mummified cat -souvenir of a trip of some Aubyn to Egypt-, medieval weapons and armor, a part of the coat that Napoleon wore on the day of his final defeat at Waterloo, the armor of a samurai warrior – a gift from the Emperor of Japan – and even the sofa on which Queen Victoria sat for tea.
Simple and inspiring Lord Aubyn's study, from whose windows he could gaze out over the gray immensity of the ocean.
The library is another of the captivating rooms. They say that it was already part of the abbey's dependencies in the 12th century and retains that magic that old places possess where knowledge is treasured in the form of books.
St.Michael castle tower
AN ORIGINAL STONE CHAPEL
The chapel , located in the upper part of the castle, it is the beating heart of St Michael's Mount. They say that they used the original stones for the profound reconstruction that took place in the 14th century.
When visiting its interior we find a beautiful organ 18th century , an incunable stone altarpiece, a bronze figure that represents Saint Michael sparing the life of a defeated Devil and, located behind the altar, some beautiful alabaster panels made in Nottingham in the fifteenth century.
In this little church, which seems stuck in another era, Sunday masses are still celebrated between May and September.
interior of the chapel
STRANGE TROPICAL GARDENS
There is no better way to transition from the divine to the earthly than by visiting the exotic gardens of The Mount.
Actually, few visitors imagine that here, in the southwest of the cold island of Great Britain, they will find species typical of subtropical climates that grow without any effort.
St Michael's Mount Gardens they were designed by Sir John St Aubyn and his two daughters in the late 19th century. Thus they created a system of stepped and walled terraces, in which the rocks absorb the morning sun to keep the earth warm at night.
Walking the path that goes into the gardens, we can admire magnificent specimens of aloe vera and agaves, as well as aromatic lavender and rosemary. And all this with incredible views of the sea.
An exceptional site in Cornwall.
MARAZION, IDEAL PLACE TO DISCONNECT
Returning to Marazion is a great way to end our trip.
This small coastal town lives mainly from tourism. Gone are the days when it was a port of some importance – along with St Michael's Mount – for fishing and the transport of tin, extracted in the many mines on the Cornish coast.
travelers relax strolling through its quiet streets, through which the aroma of the sea is filtered, shopping in its small shops and trying its tasty gastronomy –based on fresh fish and seafood– in restaurants such as The Fire Engine Inn or Godolphin Arms.
From its terraces you can direct your gaze to the horizon and there you will find, crowning a small island, that ancient abbey whose stone has heard the infinite lament of the men.
Marizon Cornwall