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Just like everything in the World is fake, the spire was added only in 1896, deliberately for making the island more picturesque and gothic. Here is a photo from 1878:
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I can’t believe an architect would do anything to make a building look nice, what a filthy deception
It wasn’t built as a tourist attraction 1000 years ago
Well … it was kind of a touristic attraction as people came there in pilgrimage. Just different kind of tourism for a different time.
Don’t you notice if the first time? Do you think it adds nothing to its skyline? Would you recognise it as quickly without it?
It’s a circular city in the water, how many of those do you know off the top of your head?
I wouldn’t call it a city, when I was there it was it felt like it’s a village. And thank you for calling it circular because it’s not, and the spire helps with that illusion. The town covers only one side of the rock, the other side is empty.
About similar things, the “abbey on the top of a lonely rock/hill” trope is not unheard of in Europe, on the top of my head: Monte Cassino, Assisi, Melk, Pannonhalma…
But that’s not the point I tried to make. Here is the contour of Mont-Saint-Michel, you can recognize it at first glance, even at small resolution, because it’s very unique:
But can you also recognise it as quickly if I remove the spire from the same drawing:
That’s the point I tried to make, that small touch added a lot to it’s unique look. And it also fits really well, just it’s not as old as other parts.
Look, we’re both enamored with this precious little town and everyone can see you’re better at being a fan of it because you care ten times as much as anyone else here. We were just poking fun.
I’m glad you got to go anyway, my family wasn’t even keen enough to break out of Paris when we went. Next time I’ll drag them out and see what I make of the spire.
That’s a bit of a strange way of describing it.
Mont St. Michel has been built, rebuilt and restored many times in the past. Lots of buildings from 1200 don’t exist anymore and collapsed over the years.
The spire isn’t necessarily a new invention either. Here’s an illustration from 1772 that does seem to show a (more romanesque) spire on the top as well:
It’s a different spire, but a lot of things have changed over the years. Viollet le Duc restored the site in the 19th century and added a neogothic spire (the famous one we all know now). Similar spires popped up all over the world, a notable example being the Notre Dame’s spire (which after the fire had to be rebuilt in the same way due to its heritage value).
The idea of a spire on the island isn’t new at least, and the neogothic spire does fit the island very well, both in looks but also in spiritual meaning. I certainly wouldn’t describe it as a “fake” just for tourism purposes.
Maybe fake was not the best word. I just don’t really like the 19th century neo* styles, and that they are celebrated as something very historic.
Mont?
I’d love to live there! That spire looks like it’s been there for hundreds of years! I wanna climb it and hangglide off of it!
Goddamn that spire is so cool! The city itself is enriched by the presence of that obviously-ancient spire!
