During the summer, Franceinfo’s culture department shares its favorites with you every day. Tuesday 15 August: an exhibition starting this summer at Mont-Saint-Michel to celebrate the Abbey’s 1000th anniversary, including the Abbey Treasure as the main piece.
Whoever enters the abbey church of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey crosses a thousand years of history. “When you are in the nave, you are in the Romanesque nave, built by Abbot Hildebert from 1023.”, describes Mathilde Labatut, Curator of Historical Monuments at DRAC Normandy. This Mont Saint Michel Abbey will celebrate its millennium in 2023. This anniversary will be celebrated with several cultural events this summer and autumn. An exhibition in the heart of the abbey traces the history of an exceptional abbey.
>> Five things you should know about Mont-Saint-Michel, whose Abbey is celebrating its millennium
“Proceeding further in the abbey, one comes through the crossing of the transept. And you are in the 19th century.”, continues Mathilde Labatut. The choir dates from the 1450s. A model, a copy of a relief plan from 1701, shows what the abbey looked like at the beginning of the 18th century.. “she is fabulous she points out for, for example, we see a nave with seven bays, whereas today there are only four. The other three disappeared before the French Revolution.
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With this model“We see one of the towers that were built in the 12th century, and the towers are no longer there either. And above all, we see an absolutely sublime, bulbous bell tower that will disappear with the 19th century and the major restorations.” ” , She keeps going.
A 19th century reliquary in gilt silver
the 19thE In the 19th century, pilgrimages came back. Associated items include an exceptional reliquary made in 1895 for the skull of Saint-Aubert, founder of the first place of worship on Mont au VIIIE Century. “It is a silver gilded copy of the tabernacle of the Pavia Charterhouse. More than 30 kilos of gilded silver were collected, it is a large precious object. It is an object that is the focus of pilgrimages because in the 19th century we also want to give back a place to Aubert, the founder. And on September 10 there is always a pilgrimage, even today.”explains Brigitte Galbrun, curator of antiques and works of art in the department of Manche.
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Another key piece of the exhibition is the Abbey Treasure, which is very rarely shown and is presented at the base of a silver statue of Archangel Michael. Melted down during the revolution, it was rebuilt in the 19th centuryE Century.
“It’s an ornament. We will have a crown, a flaming sword, a chain of arms.”
Brigitte Galbrun, curator of antiques and works of art in the department of Mancheat franceinfo
For this heraldic necklace “We copy the collar of the Order of Saint-Michel created at the end of the 15th century. There is also a symbolic collar. Everything is made of gold, silver and precious stones.”, says Brigitte Galbrun. A total of around thirty objects have been assembled to commemorate this 1,000-year history, an anniversary that will also be celebrated in September with a show and concerts such as that by pianist Sofiane Pamart.
