luential figures –
including Victor Hugo – had launched a campaign to restore what was seen as a
national architectural treasure. The prison was finally closed in 1863, and the
mount was declared a historic monument in 1874. The Mont-Saint-Michel and its
bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, and it was
listed with criteria such as cultural, historical, and architectural
significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty.
