Vintage Solid Brass Like & Enamel France Mont Saint Michel Letter Opener in overall good vintage condition- as per photos, does come with some signs of wear & use due to age. General wear marks & signs of light wear consistent with age. It is approx 20 years old. Dimensions: - Height 14cm - Diameter 4cm - Weight 35grams Aptly called the Wonder of the West, Mont-Saint-Michel & its bay were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 CE, & the island's abbey is one of France's most popular sites with over 3 millions visitors per year. The long history of Mont-Saint-Michel began in 708, when Bishop Aubert erected a first sanctuary on Mont Tombe in honour of the Archangel. in 966, Benedictine monks settled there on request from the Duke of Normandy, Richard I. According to legend, at the beginning of the 8th century, the Archangel Michael appeared to the bishop Aubert in a dream & instructed him to build a sanctuary on the rocky, inhospitable island in his honor. Understandably, it took two more alleged apparitions before the great bishop was convinced to go along with such a project. in 1901, train tracks were laid across the bay, all the way to the feet of the city's walls. Called La ligne de Pontorson au Mont-Saint-Michel, it only had a bit more than six miles of tracks. It was regrettably dismantled during the Second World War but remains one of the most intriguing facts about Mont-Saint-Michel. Other interesting facts: - The bay has quicksand - The town was never conquered - The Abbey had a stint as a prison - The island has the highest tides in Europe - There are more businesses than inhabitants - Its structure is symbolic of France's ancient social hierarchy For environmental purposes & in line with our business ethos we reuse packaging where possible. Vintage Solid Brass Like & Enamel France Mont Saint Michel Letter Opener