The monastic adventure of Mont-Saint-Michel began in 966 with the settlement of the first Benedictines. For eight centuries, the monks built, administered, and developed the abbey, which became one of the most popular pilgrimage centres of the Middle Ages. A Romanesque and Gothic architectural marvel, combined with an impregnable military fortress. In 1790, the Revolution drove the monks out of the abbey, which was converted into a prison. In 1966, a handful of monks, with the agreement of the State, owner of the abbey, settled on the Mont and celebrated services again.