Logo Extime Hosted by ParisAéroport

Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre at Mont-Saint-Michel

At the heart of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel lies a crypt that delights lovers of archaeology: the church of Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre. A magical, timeless place, it is the vestige of the oldest medieval abbey on this extraordinary rock, and it holds many surprises for the visitors and pilgrims who find their way to it.
 

A spiritual rock since the eighth century

Mont-Saint-Michel has been bound up with the destiny of Christianity since the early eighth century, nearly a hundred years before the reign of Charlemagne. The monks who came to settle there were far from idle. They raised various buildings on the site, both to live in and to celebrate worship and mass, to pray and to bear witness to their faith.

A chapel for the pilgrims

In the early tenth century, a chapel was built to replace the eighth century oratory of Saint Aubert, which had become too small to cope with the flow of pilgrims. This is the church of Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre, today the oldest surviving part of the abbey and a place where the deep history of the Mount can still be felt.

Form and dimensions

Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre takes the form of a quadrilateral measuring about 36 by 43 feet (11 by 13 meters), able to hold around a hundred of the faithful. Its irregular shape is explained by its position, for the structure was built against the rock of the mountain on its eastern side, shaping its walls to the stone itself.

Preserved through the centuries

As the abbey grew in importance it was enlarged, and while many monuments were destroyed and rebuilt, others were preserved. Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre is one of them. Its solid vaults and massive pillars proved perfect for supporting the western part of the nave of the Romanesque abbey that rose above it. Even as work continued, turning the Marvel into an elegant and wonderfully varied architectural ensemble, the little Carolingian chapel passed through the centuries almost untouched, and was rediscovered in the nineteenth century.

Good to know

• Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre is the oldest surviving part of the abbey, dating from the early tenth century.
• It measures about 36 by 43 feet (11 by 13 meters) and could hold around a hundred faithful.
• Its vaults and pillars support the western part of the nave of the Romanesque abbey above.
 

Discover Mont-Saint-Michel

EXTIME TRAVEL
Mont Saint-Michel at your leisure, Day trip from Paris

Starting at: 90,00€ /pers.

EXTIME TRAVEL
Audio guided tour of Mont Saint-Michel, Day trip from Paris

Starting at: 95,00€ /pers.

EXTIME TRAVEL
Guided tour of Mont Saint-Michel, Day trip from Paris

Starting at: 108,00€ /pers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre?

It is the oldest surviving church of Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, a chapel built in the early tenth century and the vestige of the oldest medieval abbey on the Mount.

How big is the chapel?

It is a quadrilateral measuring about 36 by 43 feet (11 by 13 meters), able to hold around a hundred of the faithful, with an irregular shape because it was built against the rock.

Why was it preserved?

Its solid vaults and massive pillars were ideal for supporting the western part of the nave of the Romanesque abbey built above it, so the chapel survived through the centuries.