Mont Saint Michel got its current name in 709, when the bishop of Avranches, St. Aubert, ordered a small church to be built on the site. The legend says that the Archangel Saint Michael, leader of the armies of heaven, appeared before the bishop and instructed him to build the church on this rocky isle.

Today, a golden statue of Saint Michael can be seen at the top of the church spire, protecting and overlooking the entire island.