*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts of life on the island *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading “This place Mont Saint-Michel's, in centuries of glows, and hundreds sounds of bells, in rising highs and lows. Where trust in God was true, like mountains stood high, in its conviction onto the heaven, blue deep and sky.” – Peter S. Quinn, “Mont Saint-Michel” Fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise instantly fell in love with the brooding but majestic Minas Tirith, the mesmerizing entity boasting looming stone towers on every level. As with most brilliant works of art, a muse or source of inspiration was responsible. In this case, it is said that the magical city and circular fortress had been inspired by one very real island – the legendary Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, France. The same island makes an appearance, complete with exquisitely rendered layouts, in the hit video games Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Revelations.