Logis Tiphaine
Above the doorway of this 14th-century stone house, Bertrand du Guesclin's coat of arms still marks the lintel. He had it built in 1365 for his wife, Tiphaine de Raguenel — scholar, astrologer, and by all accounts a woman who kept her own counsel — while he went off to fight in the Hundred Years' War. The house was hers to live in and think in, and that particular arrangement gives the place a character unlike anything else on the island.
You enter through a short outside walkway lined with armour, then follow a spiral staircase through rooms on different levels: tapestried walls, period furniture, Tiphaine's astrology cabinet, and Bertrand's own armour standing in the corner. The house is small enough to feel genuinely inhabited rather than curated.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to linger in Tiphaine's astrology cabinet longer than anywhere else — the instruments and charts sit in a room that still reads as a working space rather than a display case. Go early, before the Grande Rue fills up, and you'll often have the spiral staircase entirely to yourself.
The story behind Logis Tiphaine
Bertrand du Guesclin built the house in 1365, when he held the captaincy of Pontorson and Mont Saint-Michel. He would go on to become Constable of France — the highest military office in the kingdom — but at the time of construction he was still making his name in the wars that defined 14th-century France. The house was a gift, and a practical one: Tiphaine de Raguenel, his wife, was a serious scholar and astrologer who needed somewhere to work while her husband was away on campaign.
The building was restored and modified in the 19th century and is now owned by the La Mère Poulard group. Its façades and roofs have been listed as a Historic Monument since 1 March 1928.
Good to know
Entry is €9 for adults; a four-museum pass covering Mont Saint-Michel's wider circuit costs €18. Closed Thursdays and Fridays in low season (mid-November through February), and on 25 December and 1 January. The free shuttle 'Le Passeur' runs from the main car park, 2.5 km out, to the island's base.
Where is Logis Tiphaine?
Location
- In Mont Saint-Michel
- 48.6353, -1.5114
- Open in Google Maps
Rating
1.9 ★ · 152 Google reviews
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What travellers say about Logis Tiphaine
This is one of these tourist attractions that leave you feeling ripped off. We visited today at a cost of €9 per adult. What we were presented with was three small rooms across three floors (two bedrooms and one living room) containing some furniture and that was that! A little garden at the top of the house as you exited. The rooms were very, very dusty and clearly the house hadn’t been cleaned for some time. It took just a few minutes to see it all. I was furious as the magnificent abbey only cost €11 by comparison. Do yourself a favour and give this place a miss, spend your money elsewhere. Overall the visit to Mint St Michel was lovely, the experience with this place left me a little fuming.
It is a little small and dusty, but it is really cool to be in this house, with such important historical value.
Just a few rooms, not very interesting, very moldy, not worth it.
CGP Grey brought me here and I didn't expect the rating to be as bad as it actually is.
Quite pricey for such a short visit. On 3 levels. Takes about 15 minutes.
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