Ville remarquable de Saint-Mihiel

Located in the heart of the Meuse valley, 35 km south of Verdun, the town of Saint-Mihiel offers its inhabitants and visitors a rich heritage imbued with a strong memory. Its history is intimately linked to that of its Benedictine abbey, founded in the 8th century on a wooded hill (Mount Châtillon) a few kilometres from its current location. Legend has it that the foundation was due to a manifestation of the Archangel Saint-Michel, head of the heavenly armies. Spending one night with his retinue on Mount Châtillon, Lord Wulfoad is said to have had a relic of the archangel hung on a hazel branch. In the morning, when he tried to retrieve the relic, the branch rose again with each attempt. The sign was clear, St. Michael wanted a religious house to be founded here. For modern historians, the establishment of the Benedictines corresponds to a disgrace suffered by Wulfoad, a powerful Austrasian lord, following a rebellion against King Pepin Le Bref. The latter confiscated the lands of the said lord and entrusted them to Fulrad, abbot of Saint-Denis, who made use of them by setting up a Benedictine community.

It is also said that Saint-Michel saved the town by preventing seven evil fairies from throwing large rocks into the Meuse that would have flooded the site. Still visible today, these rocks are known today as the Ladies of the Meuse
Beyond the legendary aspects, we know that the Benedictine community settled near the banks of the Meuse as early as the 9th century in a hamlet called Godonécourt. Over the centuries, under the impulse of the abbey, the town of Saint-Mihiel grew and developed to the point of becoming a true artistic and cultural centre. Many traces are still visible today, anchored in the heritage of the Sammiellois: magnificent mansions from the Renaissance, 17th and 18th centuries; a renowned artistic heritage instilled by the emergence of the Ligier Richier school of Sammiellois sculpture, leader of a cultural revival; an exceptional Benedictine library whose oldest manuscripts date from the 8th century. Discover Saint-Mihiel as you wander through its streets, the reflection of a fascinating heritage.

DATAtourisme France