157. ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL. THE ALMONRY. PERSPECTIVE VIEW LOOKING WEST. THE CELLAR BEYOND
After the fire of 1203, when the abbey had become a feof of the royal domain, the Abbot
Jourdain and his successors rebuilt it almost entirely, with the exception of the church.
As the peculiarities of the site made it impossible to adhere strictly to the Benedictine system of direct communication between the main buildings and the church, the lieux réguliers, or accommodation reserved for the monks, were disposed above the magnificent building to the north of the church, which, from the time of its foundation, was known as La Merveille (the Marvel).
158. ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL. NAMES OF THE ARCHITECTS OR SCULPTORS OF THE CHOIR
159. ABBEY OF MONT ST. MICHEL. CELLAR. PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM WEST TO EAST. THE ALMONRY BEYOND
This vast structure fairly takes rank as the grandest example of combined religious and military architecture of the finest mediæval period.
The Merveille consists of three stories, two of which are vaulted. The lowest contains the almonry and cellar; the intermediate story the refectory and the knights' hall; the third the dormitory and cloister. The building consists of two wings running east and west; the apartments are superposed as follows:—In the east wing the almonry, the refectory, and the dormitory; in the west the cellar, the knights' hall, and the cloister.[56]