Who built what at Mont Saint-Michel during the 10 th Century ?

A re-evaluation of Mont Saint-Michel's 10th-century construction phases suggests that the Notre-Dame-sous-Terre chapel was built in two distinct periods: approximately 930-950 for its initial phase, and shortly after a fire around 992 for its second. The study challenges the prevailing view that the foundations discovered by Paul Gout east of Notre-Dame-sous-Terre were an early abbatial church, proposing instead they likely belonged to the Benedictines' initial conventual buildings. Additionally, it argues that the basilica structure identified as 'the chapel of the year 1000' may have served a secular purpose, potentially functioning as a ducal palace built by Richard I in anticipation of dynastic marriages between Norman and Breton noble families around the turn of the millennium. This research relies on historical analysis and architectural interpretation to propose new hypotheses about Mont Saint-Michel's early medieval development.

Gandy, G. (2015). Who built what at Mont Saint-Michel during the 10 th Century ? Annales de Normandie, 65e année(1), 153–182. https://doi.org/10.3917/annor.651.0153