One thing I learnt during my visit to Mont-Saint-Michel is that the population was massacred at the beginning of the 13th century. Apparently, the Duke of Brittany, set fire to the village but was unable to conquer the abbey because of its stone fortifications.
During the Hundred Years War, the abbey resisted attacks from the English army for three decades!
See all my photos of Mont-Saint-Michel here.
You can purchase prints in this series here.