-
La Fête Nationale: 14 facts about France's national holiday
The July 14 'Bastille Day' celebration features a military parade in Paris and means a day off work
-
How a post-1918 ‘adoption’ scheme of French towns left its British mark
A UK project to help rebuild devastated French towns after World War One was not without controversy
-
New virtual reality Napoleon experience a hit in Bordeaux
Connexion columnist Samantha David visited Napoléon, L'Epopée Immersive – a 'fun and fascinating' way to explore the historical events surrounding the French general
Hidden face of abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel gets a facelift
€7million restoration work expected to last until 2023
The hidden side of one of France's best-known visitor attractions is having a €7million facelift.
Some 50m above ground, the northern face of the Abbey on Mont-Saint-Michel, off the coast of Normandy, is undergoing vital work to remove moss from the roof and facade to prevent damp, and reinforce oak beams.
It is the first time this work has been carried out since the 19th century.
Abbey expert and guide François Saint-James told France 2 scaffolding put up for the restoration work has allowed him to see the abbey in a new light.
"This is the first time that I have seen these walls so close (...) It is a fabulous construction."
The work on the second most-visited tourist monument in France is expected to last until 2023, by which time some 8,500m2 of facades will have been restored.
Related articles
Tide turns Mont-Saint-Michel into an island