Bathed in gold and green-grey, the spire of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel stands out against the blue sky. However, the great fire of 1594 destroyed the Gothic spire. It was the architect Victor Petitgrand who undertook its reconstruction in 1890. The statue of the Archangel Michael sits 156m high and looks as if it will fly away. It is 4.5m high and dates from 1897. It was made by the sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet. To facilitate its installation, the statue is made of hammered and gilded copper, a much lighter metal than bronze.