Sacred Architecture and the Voice of Bells in the Medieval Landscape. With the Case Study of Mont-Saint-Michel

Medieval worshipers experienced the presence of the divine not only through direct encounters with anthropomorphic representations but also through distant, multisensory phenomena such as silhouettes on the horizon and the echo of bells. This study demonstrates that these indirect experiences could evoke a sense of the holy, comparable to images or sculptures, by analyzing medieval beliefs, emotions, myths, memory, and reactions. Using Mont-Saint-Michel as a case study, the research reveals how this tidal island was perceived as a sacred, paradisiacal mountain, offering protection from the sea's vast wilderness and serving as Saint Michael's haven. The intensification of the saint's presence upon reaching the island was attributed not only to his relics but also to the expansive horizon of sea and sky visible from the mountain.

Lešák, M. F. (2019). Sacred Architecture and the Voice of Bells in the Medieval Landscape. With the Case Study of Mont-Saint-Michel. Convivium, 6(1), 48–67. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.convi.4.2019023