Mont Saint-Michel: Resistance Through The Ages

Rising up from the Atlantic like a magical, fairy-tale palace, the Mont Saint-Michel in France is one of the world's most iconic historical landmarks. This beautiful new programme tells its 13-centuries-long story, exploring areas rarely seen by visitors and combining full-access filming with expert interviews and 3D visuals. Located at the border of Brittany and Normandy, the Mont Saint-Michel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Erected on a large granite rock in the sea, the impressive Romanesque Benedictine Abbey is only reachable by foot when the tide is out, yet it receives more than 2.5 million visitors a year, making it the third busiest monument in all of France. This documentary explores the immense engineering challenges that came with building this so-called Marvel of the Western World which includes the abbey, the Merveille (the monks' living quarters), an amazing spire dedicated to the Archangel Michael and a village. Its location has been the biggest hurdle of all and protecting and preserving the Mont in the face of natural disasters, English attacks and demolition have provided ongoing challenges throughout the centuries.Having been a place of worship and a prison, the Mont Saint-Michel was left largely abandoned until recent decades when it was rediscovered by pilgrims and tourists keen to see this impressive complex for themselves. Its legends, myths and enduring mysteries are all investigated in this definitive film which will not only appeal to lovers of history but to anyone fascinated by the enduring ingenuity and vision of man. (Sky UK)