In the Abbey of Mont St. Michel the successive modifications applied to military enceintes from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, are illustrated in the fullest and most interesting manner.
171. RAMPARTS OF ST. MALO (FIFTEENTH CENTURY)
Of the fourteenth century fortifications, which surrounded the original town at the summit of the rock, connecting the ramparts with the Merveille on the north, and the abbey buildings on the south, some fragments still remain. The tower on the north is intact. The walls are crowned with machicolations, in accordance with the then novel system of massing the defences at the top of the ramparts. The gate of the enceinte was to the south-east, judging from the miniatures in the livre d'heures of Pierre II., Duke of Brittany, which show the arrangement of the original enceinte at the close of the fourteenth century.
The abbey was at this time governed by Pierre Le Roy, one of its ablest abbots and most famous constructors. He rebuilt the summit of the Tour des Corbins (merveille), restored, and re-roofed the abbey buildings to the south of the church, which, begun by Richard Justin in 1260, were carried on at intervals by his successors till they were partially destroyed by the fire of 1374. He completed the eastern defences by the addition of the square tower at O on the plan (Fig. 151), in which he built several rooms for the accommodation of his soldiers. The tower is known as the Tour Perrine, in memory of its author. We have seen that the abbots gradually became great feudal chieftains; the Abbot of Mont St. Michel was further commandant of the place for the king; and he was empowered to bestow feofs on the nobles of the province, who bound themselves in return to keep guard over the mount in certain contingencies, enumerated in the following rendering of a Latin text:—[63]
[63] Ed. Corroyer, Description de l'Abbaye du Mont St. Michel et de ses Abords.
"The tenure of these vavassories was by faith and fealty, and their holders were bound to furnish relief and thirteen knights, each of whom was to come in person to guard the gate of the abbey when necessary—that is to say, in time of war; each to keep guard for the space of the ebb and flow of the sea—that is to say, during the rising and falling of the tide; and each to be provided with gambeson, casque, gauntlets, shield, lance, and all requisite arms; and further to present themselves thus armed yearly at the feast of St. Michael in September."
In the early years of the fifteenth century he built the gate-house and crenellated curtain which connects it with the Merveille, to the north of the guard-room, Bellechaise (see [Fig. 163], beginning of this chapter). The gate-house was placed in front of the northern façade of Bellechaise (D, [Fig. 150]); an open space between this and the south wall of the new structure formed a wide machicoulis for the protection of the north gate (that of Bellechaise), which, by the erection of the new building, had been transformed into a second interior entrance. The gate-house or châtelet is a square structure, flanked at the angles of the north front by two turrets, corbelled out upon buttresses. In general appearance they resemble a pair of huge mortars standing on their breeches. Between the pedestals of these turrets was the doorway and the inclined vault over the staircase leading to the guard-room. This entrance was defended by a portcullis worked from within on the first story, and by three machicoulis at the top of the curtain, between the battlements of the turrets. For the further protection of the gate-house Pierre Le Roy built the barbican which covers it to the east and north, and also commands the great staircase (Grand Degré) on the north. He modified the ramparts by the addition of the tower known as the Tour Claudine at the north-east angle of the Merveille. In the lower story of this tower he constructed a guard-room, the postern of which communicated with the Grand Degré, and by a series of ingenious and unique combinations was so contrived as to command all the approaches.[64]
[64] Ed. Corroyer, Description de l'Abbaye du Mont St. Michel, etc.; Paris, 1877.
