The oldest monasteries are by far the most visited among tourists. At the beginning of the formation of Christianity, monasteries were built on the territory of Europe, which combined religion, culture, education, administration, and some also the judicial sphere.

For the majority of children living in poor families, teaching, upbringing and living in a church school allowed them to raise their social status.

In the northwest of Styria, in the valley of the river Ens, (Austria), there is the oldest Benedictine monastery - the Abbey of Admont. The date of construction is considered to be 1074 and its founder is documented by the Salzburg archbishop Gebhard. The shrine gained particular popularity in the XII-XIII centuries, when a school for girls directly from noble families was organized there.

A workshop was created at the monastery, where they studied the monastery scriptorium. In it, the monk productively worked on the correspondence of ancient manuscripts. It was during this period that the foundations of the future well-known library took place.

During the Turkish invasions, as well as the Reformation, the monastery fell into decay, and from the beginning of the 17th to the 18th century it regained its former glory and influence even outside Austria. Today, Admont Abbey is famous for its unique library, besides, it is considered the largest in the whole world.

The thematic collection of books is quite extensive, from theological to scientific and historical literature. In 1865, a tragedy almost happened and all the books were not lost in a strong fire, but the clergy-monks managed to save the treasure of the monastery by some kind of miracle.

The library of the oldest Benedictine monastery in Europe, the Abbey of Admont, is an architectural structure amazing in its elegance and luxury of interior decoration.

It should be noted that the book depository itself is a masterpiece of art. The entire monastery is an architectural structure that amazes with its charm and luxury, executed in the Baroque style. You can visit the Admont Monastery from March 24 to December 31. For tourists, the door is open from 10:00 to 17:00 on any day of the week.

Abbey at Saint Maurice

The Catholic monastery is located in the small town of Saint-Maurice, which is located in the Swiss Alps... The date of the founding of the Abbey is considered to be 515, but until that time a basilicus was founded here, where the relics of St. Maurice, delivered by the Bishop of Valais in 370, were kept.

According to legend, St. Maurice, along with his comrades with whom he was in the Theban legion, were tortured to death, since they refused to go out in war against the common believers. The Abbey of Saint Maurice was founded by the Burgundian king Sigismund and since that time it has been a place of pilgrimage.

The centuries-old history of the Abbey includes various periods of existence with favorable and unfavorable events, which became the preconditions for the formation of today's Catholic monastery. Over the centuries, the servants of the Abbey have accumulated not only cultural, aesthetic, but also historical values.

It should be definitely noted that 2015 was a significant day for the Abbey, it turned 1500 years old. On this occasion, a large-scale celebration was organized with a liturgy and a street performance, embodying a combination of the sacred and the worldly, as well as the past and the present.

Since 1995, everyone can come on an excursion to the Abbey and get acquainted with its history of formation, explore the surroundings and admire the unforgettable landscapes of this area.

Lerins abbey

The history of the Lerinsky Catholic monastery dates back to 410. The founder is considered the hermit Honorat Arelatsky: looking for a place for seclusion, he chose the island of Saint-Honoré, located near Cannes in France. But he did not manage to retire, as his devoted disciples followed him and over time a community was formed.

After the formation of the monastery over the next many centuries, glorified saints were educated here, who later became bishops, and many of them founded new monasteries.

Already by the 8th century from the day of its foundation, Lerins Abbey had a great influence among other oldest monasteries in Europe and in its own possessions it had quite extensive territorial allotments. The village of Cannes was included in the total area.

Due to the fact that the abbey was very rich, it was often attacked by the Saracens.... One of the terrible attacks on the good of the abbey is considered the robbery of the holy place in 732, during which almost all the monks were killed, along with the abbot. One who survived is the monk Eleenter, who after a while erected the newest monastery on the ruins of the destroyed one.

But in 1047, Spain seized the territory of the Lerins Islands, and the monks were detained. After a short time, the monks were ransomed, and the abbey was turned into a defensive fortress with observation towers.

Further, the monastery was declared the property of the state directly during the French Revolution. The relics of the proclaimed Saint Honorat were redirected from the basilica to Cathedral Grasse, and the monks living in the abbey were expelled.

Immediately after the expulsion of the ministers, the noble actress Mademoiselle Sainval acquired the territory of the sanctuary; for 20 years she used the cells where the monks lived as a guest yard.

In 1859, Bishop Frejus bought the island territory where the shrine was located, and in ten years it was completely renewed. Today the Lerinsky monastery is directly ranked among the property of the Cistercians.

It is now home to 25 monks who, in addition to the main monastic life, successfully run the hotel business, grow lavender, own orange orchards and vineyards.

Candida Kassa monastery

In 397, St. Ninian built a small temple of stone called Candida Kassa ("White House"), considered the first Christian building in Scotland. After its construction, the first Christian settlement was formed in the direction north of Hadrian's Wall.

The monastery began to grow rapidly and over time occupied a visible place directly in the early Middle Ages, like other oldest monasteries in Europe.

For construction in later times, ceramics and glass were used as a result of the use of the latest technological processes and crafts, which were borrowed from the Mediterranean and Western France.

The monastery was rebuilt several times after the destruction:

1. In 1128, a new cathedral and the monastery itself were erected in the same place.
2. But in 1822, the temple restored its purpose and became a place of concentration of religious worship for pilgrims from all over the world.
3. To this day, Candida Casa in Gallows, Scotland belongs to the oldest Christian monasteries in Europe.

Einsiedeln monastery

There are several legends about the foundation of the monastery in Einsiedeln. But these legends have in common the fact that not far from the location of the present abbey, a hermit, Mainrad, settled in the forest, who had two faithful black crows. One day in January, two strangers asked the hermit to spend the night.

Having sheltered Mainrad, he fed them dinner, but they decided to rob him, and not finding anything of value, they killed the hermit. While trying to escape, the killers were caught almost immediately thanks to the black crows, which attracted the local residents with their frantic cry.

Over time, hermit monks began to come to the place of Maynrad's death, and thus a monastic community was formed. The creation of the monastery itself dates back to 934. From that time on, the history of the formation of the Einsiedeln Abbey began. For a thousand years male monastery became a major pilgrimage site in Switzerland.

One of the first and main shrines of the abbey was the statue of the Black Madonna, allegedly consecrated by Jesus himself. But it burned to the ground in a fire that broke out in 1465. It was replaced by another donated by the abbess of Zurich Hildegard in 1466. Now the shrine is located in a temple building directly inside the "penitential chapel".

The monastery has a huge library room, which contains:

• 1230 ancient manuscripts;
• 740 incunabula;
• 700 paleotypes.

At the abbey there is a monastery school, as well as a Benedictine convent - the Abbey of Fahr near the city of Zurich, formed at the beginning of the 12th century.

Monastery of Mont Saint-Michel

The oldest monasteries in Europe include Mont Saint Michel, whose foundation was preceded by the appearance of the Archangel Michael to Bishop Aubert, who lives in the city of Avranches. Referring to a manuscript dating from the 10th century, Ober the Archangel Michael ordered the erection of a temple on the island of Mont Tomb (the current location of Mont Saint Michel).

Initially, several hermit monks settled on the island territory, who built two small sanctuaries here. Archangel Michael appeared in Ober's dreams three times, since the bishop initially could not understand the will of the saint. Only the third time, when the Archangel pierced the bishop's skull with his ring, Oreb began to build the temple.

The chapel built on the site of the present abbey had a semblance of the sanctuary of Monte Grotto, located in southern Italy. It was from this grotto that some relics were brought to the chapel. This is the crimson cover left by the Archangel, as well as part of the marble slab directly with the imprint of his foot.

Over time, the influence of Mont Saint Michel expanded throughout France, accordingly, the number of pilgrims wishing to visit the monastery increased. But the small territory of the temple did not allow to receive a large number of pilgrims and on the basis of this it was decided to build a large building.

The problem arose in the fact that it was not possible to build a temple on the rock, but a way out was found. Initially, it was decided to build four chapels, which became a kind of platform for further construction of the building. After their construction, the construction of the temple began. It took almost 500 years (1023-1520).

The long fate of the abbey had a lot of adversity For example, it was closed several times, punishment cells for prisoners were organized in it, and also had to go through religious wars. The Monastery of Mont Saint-Michel is still a place of pilgrimage for parishioners from all over the world.

Monastery of Monte Cassino

The oldest monasteries in Europe include Monte Cassino, which sits on a small hilltop that looms over the town of Cassino just 120 km from the capital of Italy, Rome. The monastery was founded by Benedict of Nursia in 529 on the site of the pagan temple of Apollo.

The built temple was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. But the monastery did not have an easy fate. It was destroyed several times, but even despite this, it remained the largest center for the spread of culture directly in the Western world.

The era of prosperity fell on the XIV century. During this period, the territorial area of ​​the monastery was huge, and a library with ancient and early Christian literature settled in the temple. In addition, Kossin monks studied astronomy, jurisprudence, medicine, philosophy, and also translated creatures that were originally written in Latin and Greek.

It should be noted that in addition to visiting and getting to know the monastery, tourists are given the opportunity to visit one of the beautiful sights of the nearby shrine. This is "Swan Lake", where black and white swan families live among the botanical garden, created by the owner of the hotel-restaurant, where tourists can stay for the night.

St. Gallen monastery

The oldest monasteries in Europe are located in the eastern part of Switzerland. This is the monastery of St. Gallen, founded according to legend by Saint Gall directly in 613. It was in this year that on the site of the future temple he built a small cell for seclusion in order to devote himself to prayers to God.

Although, according to available documents, it is noted that it is not exactly the creator of the monastery that St. Gall is considered to be, but Otmar, who was the abbot of this sacred structure.

The monastery of St. Gall had unprecedented fame not only on the territory of its town, but they knew about it far beyond the aisles. Numerous streams of pilgrims, among whom were very wealthy people, made donations, and on them the leadership of the monastery upset and improved the buildings of the temple.

Thanks to this, in a short time the monastery of St. Gallen has become a religious center not only in its homeland, but also abroad.

Today the cathedral church is divided into two main parts. The first part is presented to the eyes of tourists in the form of buildings that were erected in the 9th century, and the other part, these structures were built in the 18th century.

The main attraction, which is of interest to tourists, is the world-famous unique library located in the western wing. Among the huge collection of books, special attention is drawn to those that were traced, even before Jesus came to our world.

It should be noted that every tourist must, without fail, familiarize himself with the special rules, which are noted in special guidebooks.

Rules:

Directly in the library you can visit only from 10 am to 5 pm. The cost of the visit is CHF 7.

Monastery of St. Athanasius

At 15 km from the Chirpan city formation of the Starozagorsk region in the village of Zlata-Livada there is the St. Atanasius women's monastery. It is ranked among the oldest shrines in all of Europe, since it was created back in 344.

It was founded directly by St. Athanasius, who was in the period of Of the Ecumenical Council commemorated in 343-344. The significant event was held in the Church of the Lord of St. Sophia.

There is a famous source of holy water near the monastery, which was converted by Saint Athanasius into a sanctuary for water. According to legend, water from the miracle spring is considered healing. Near the monastery of nuns in the mountain slopes there is a small cave formation, called the fasting woman, destined for solitude and fasting. The postnitsa can be visited by tourists.

Throughout its existence, the monastery of St. Anatasios was destroyed many times, but it was recreated anew. The temple acquired its modern appearance in the 80s of the 20th century.

There are several relics in the sacred monastery, one of which is the image of St. Athanasius, presented directly by the Patriarch of Alexandria, Petros VII, as a gift on the day of his stay in Bulgaria, commemorated in 2003. Also in the church of the Lord a copy of the Church Slavonic parchment old manuscript of the Reims Gospel is kept.

Monastery of Saint Gall

The old town of St. Gallen is home to the world-renowned monastery of St. Gall. created by one of the twelve disciples who are followers of the Irish monk and missionary Columban. St. Gallen's Abbey was the largest cultural and scientific center in Europe during the Middle Ages.

The temple was founded in a small cell built by Gall in 612 near Lake Constance. where he retired from everything worldly and devoted himself to prayers to God. The beginning of the construction of the temple dates back to 1719. After the completion of the construction, the preacher Otmar was appointed the first abbot, who, while at his post, restored the existing cells, which arrived in a dilapidated state.

Also, Otmar founded the famous library and no less famous art workshop... Thanks to Otmar and his efforts, the monastery became one of the largest Benedictine abbeys.

Monastery of St. John of Rila

One of the significant and notable sights of Bulgaria is the monastery of St. John of Rilski. It is located quite high on the mountain slopes, 1147 m above sea level and is located 117 km from Sofia. Around the monastery itself, there is a natural park surrounded by 36 peaks, and there are also crystal clear Rila lakes.

The temple was founded by the hermit monk John of Rilski in the 10th century, therefore the sacred monastery was named in his honor. Like all the oldest monasteries in Europe in the Middle Ages, this monastery also has a difficult fate.

It was robbed several times, destroyed almost to the ground, but it always recovered even after an intense earthquake that occurred in 1343.

To date, from the old monastery for the eyes of tourists and pilgrims, only the Khrelyovaya tower, towering 24 m, in which the chapel of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built earlier, remained. All other buildings of the temple were rebuilt, so it differs significantly from its original appearance.

Since 1991, the monastery of St. John of Rilski has regained the status of monasticism, and today it is an active male monastery, attracting not only pilgrims, but tourists from all over the world. The relics of St. John rest in the monastery, near which you can receive healing, but you can visit this miraculous place only on certain days.

Also, tourists are interested in the library in the temple, where ancient manuscripts dating from the XI-XIX centuries and a historical museum with exhibits that are hundreds of years old are preserved.

Monastery of Saint Mauritius

In the city of Saint-Maurice in 515, the temple building of Saint Mauritius was formed on the site of the martyrdom of the leader of the Mauritius legion with his 6 thousand soldiers, who prevented the killing of fellow believers (Christians).

The order was given by the Emperor Maximian in an era when there were massive persecutions of people who converted to Christianity. For disobeying the order of Mauritius, the soldiers were executed. Some time later, during the reign of King Sigismund of Burgundy, a temple in the name of St. Mauritius was erected on the site of the martyr's execution.

The Monastery of St. Mauritius is practically the only sacred monastery in which for one and a half thousand years ordinary life has not been interrupted in prayer.

In 1998, on the doors of the so-called ancient portal, the names of martyrs from various states were inscribed in a new way, engraved in their native languages. Another significant relic of the sanctuary is a 12 m high cross carved on a rock, which was installed in honor of Suvorov, testifying to a historical event, namely, the commander's crossing over the Alps.

In addition, the monastery presents rare exhibits that were donated by noble parishioners who wish to mark in this way the reverence for the relics of the great martyrs.

Monastery of Saint Martin

St. Martin's Church is one of the remarkable holy cloisters in Cologne, preserved from the X-XI centuries. The monastery was built on the site of ancient Roman baths and food warehouses of that time.

The modern Cologne monastery is presented in the Byzantine style with numerous vaults and stained glass windows. It was completely restored after World War II, and only a fragment of an ancient Roman column remains from the ancient building.

There is a legend that this piece can determine the evil and good thoughts of people. If a person has evil intentions, then this fragment of the column will not let him into the church, but they also say that he is able to even kill a person if he has planned something dashing.

As for the interior decoration, after the restoration in 1960, it has been devoid of any majestic decorations, but the exterior looks amazing, especially when the lights are turned on in the evening and at night.

It should be noted that from the beginning of 1985 and immediately until 2008, the building of St. Martin was used as a Catholic parish church, where prayers were held in Portuguese, Filipino and Spanish. But from the second month of spring 2009, the church building Big St. Martin, as the locals call it, regained the status of a Benedictine monastery.

Summing up, it must be said that all the oldest monasteries founded in Europe presented in the article are cultural heritage of their country, and some of them are protected by the United Nations, concerning the issues of education, science and culture of UNESCO.

Article design: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: Catholic monasteries and the life of monks in the Middle Ages

Monasteries of Europe and the life of monks of the Middle Ages:

Medieval monasteries in Europe are one of the most visited places by tourists. Previously, they were real centers of social life, because they combined culture, religion, administration, education and even the judicial sphere. Desperate and homeless people could find shelter here, and for many children from poor families, upbringing and living in the monastery meant an increase in social status.

Despite the fact that in modern world most of the original functions of these spiritual places have been lost; they continue to arouse keen interest.

Firstly, they are progressive architectural samples of the Middle Ages, and secondly, they are examples of closed complexes that served themselves at the expense of the monks' work, keeping animals and growing crops. In fact, these were samples of "states within a state" with a special life and history. Quite often the monasteries of Europe became pulsars of historical action, where tragic or great events took place. Many of them are shrouded in mysterious and even mystical stories that still excite and amaze people.

In the very heart of Europe, there is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most historically valuable monastery of St. Gall. It is located in the eastern part of Switzerland in the small administrative center of St. Gallen. The town is one of the most mountainous in Switzerland, but this is not what makes it popular and famous, but the fact that it was in it in the Middle Ages that the center of European education was built - St. Gallen Abbey.

The oldest monastery was founded back in 613 by a lonely hermit monk named Gallus. The first who decided to pay great attention to the cultural development within these walls was the abbot Otmar, who invited masters from different parts of Europe to organize a local art school. Mixing different currents and genres made it possible to create unique paintings and icons, which are pearls of medieval artistic culture.

This tradition was continued by the Abbot Waldo, who in the 8th century collected one of the richest libraries in Europe within the walls of the abbey. In addition, there was a strong singing school, within the walls of which they performed masterly songs in the Gregorian style. In the X century, famous poets and musicians of our time worked here, and a little later - the ancestor and founder of German literary literature, Notker Gubasty, worked.

Until the 18th century, St. Gallen was as influential a monastery in Europe as Notre Dame Cathedral in the Middle Ages, but later the importance of the monastery weakened. In the second half of the 18th century, the oldest buildings were demolished, and new churches were erected in their place, embodying the Baroque architectural style, which is still capable of surprising tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

In 1983, Unesco added the cloister of Saint Gall to the World Heritage List. Within the walls of the main attraction of the city, the oldest library is kept, numbering 160 thousand ancient books, 50 thousand of which are available for acquaintance to all comers.

Everyone who is lucky enough to visit the Austrian city of Admont, located on the River Enns, will never be able to forget a beautiful picture: the oldest monastery buildings from the Middle Ages, reflected in the water surface of the river.

The picturesque Admont owes its appearance to the Archbishop of Salzburg, who initiated its construction in 1704. Active educational work was carried out here, the monks were especially progressive in natural sciences and in the description historical facts... Near the monastery territory was built modern school for girls, taught by the best of the monks.

Prosperity peaked in the Middle Ages, during the ministry of Abbot Engelbert. He was a scientist ahead of his time, from whose pen many significant scientific works came out. It was at this time that a library began to function in the monastery, which to this day is the largest monastery library not only in Europe, but throughout the world. The collection of books is so magnificent that visitors queue up here every day. More than 70 thousand people visit the library per year. Here you can see 70 thousand handwritten texts and engravings, and among the 200 thousand books there are a huge number of the oldest copies created before the 13th century.

The hall where the library is located is a huge light room, in which elements of the neo-Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque styles are intricately mixed. In addition, there are natural history and art history museums on the territory, and music festivals are often held in the exhibition hall. A special department exhibits paintings for the blind. One can only imagine how unique the exhibitions would have been if the monastery buildings had not been damaged by fire in 1865.

Some of the treasures of the oldest collection were sold in the crisis 30s of the XX century, which became very difficult for the life of the monks. There were years when the activities of the monastery were stopped by the National Socialist government, but since 1946, spiritual activities have resumed, and since then have not been suspended again.

Montecassino

The monastery, created by Benedict of Nursia on the site of the former temple of Apollo, is considered a landmark place not only for Italy, but also for the history of the entire medieval Europe. His fate is full of bitter pages, as he was repeatedly destroyed. For this reason, only a small part of the oldest grandeur and beauty observed by monks and pilgrims of the Middle Ages has been preserved here. Nevertheless, the flow of guests to this monastery, located at a distance of 120 km from Rome, does not stop in any season.

After the construction of Montecassino in 529, the Benedictine Order arose on its territory. But after 33 years, the buildings were destroyed by the Longobards. It took a century and a half to recover, but another 170 years later it was ravaged by the Saracens. Montecassino was rebuilt by Pope Agapit II, who understands its importance in the life of all of Italy. Military attacks also took place during the Napoleon offensive in 1799.

The next and greatest destruction occurred during the Second World War in February 1944. Then the suspicion arose that high-ranking fascist military leaders were on the territory of the monastery, so the territory was bombed. Only a few elements were able to survive from the buildings, but fortunately, the main values ​​of the collections were evacuated before the bombing began, so they remained unharmed. During the air attacks in the walls of Monteassino, hundreds of civilians were killed, who took refuge within these walls during the war.

On the personal instruction of the Pope, the Benedictine patrimony was restored in the seventies, after which thousands of pilgrims rushed here to see the castle of the Middle Ages. Guests can admire the courtyard, temples, vineyards and listen to stories from medieval life.

In Catholic culture, Saint Maurice is often referred to as the place where heaven opens for people. It is the oldest abbey in Western Europe, located in Italy, which survived the Middle Ages and has survived to this day. Over the past 15 centuries, spiritual life did not stop here for a single day, and services were held at regular intervals.

Founded by Saint Maurice in 515 on the site of the tomb of St. Maurice, after whom the abbey got its name. The protection of the chosen saint was so strong that the monastic life did not stop for a minute, there were no disbandments and significant destruction here. From mouth to mouth by many generations of monks since the Middle Ages, the legend is passed that during the next divine service within the walls of one of the temples, Saint Martin appeared to those praying here, who also patronizes this place, like Mauritius.

A local feature was that the servants of the monastery were always jokers and people of subtle irony. You can be convinced of this even now, having arrived in Saint-Maurice. In many ways, it was this that contributed to the fact that the monastery survived for many centuries, without becoming a victim of wars, changes in political forces and other upheavals. The monks believe that the reason for this is the favorable location: Saint-Maurice "snuggles" to the rock, like a child clinging to its mother. The greatest danger, however, for the entire existence of the oldest monastery in Western Europe came precisely from this rock, from which debris broke off seven times, destroying the church below it. The last time this happened was in the middle of the 20th century, when a huge stone fell on the bell tower, leaving only ruins of it.

Many times Saint-Maurice was plundered by forest robbers and devastated by devastating fires. It happened that the monastery was flooded by mountain streams, but the monks steadfastly accepted all the troubles, not stopping their ministry. In 2015, the Great 1500th Anniversary was celebrated here, organized with the participation of UNESCO.

The real gem of Christianity is located on an island on the Normandy coast in northwestern France. A castle of amazing beauty with high towers reaching into the sky and reflected in sea ​​water, represents an unforgettable picture, which annually strive to see more than 4 million tourists from all over the world.

Mont Saint-Michel is translated from French as "Mount of St. Michael the Archangel." The unique location contributes to the fact that it is possible to get to it by land route only during times of significant low tides, and the tides cut it off from the mainland land, leaving the thinnest isthmus, along which not everyone dares to step. This forces tourists to be extremely careful: even Victor Hugo wrote that the speed of the tide of water is equal to the speed of a horse galloping. For this reason, a huge number of tourists could not overcome this path, drowning in the bay.

The history of the emergence of the oldest monastery is connected with a beautiful legend: in 708, the Archangel Michael appeared in a dream to Bishop Avranches Saint Aubert with a decree to begin the construction of a monastery of monks on the island. Upon awakening, the bishop thought he might have misunderstood the vision. After the second such dream, he continued to doubt, so the Archangel dreamed of Avranche for the third time, leaving a burn on his head. Immediately after this, the bishop decided to initiate construction.

In the 10th century, the number of pilgrims became so great that a small city was built for them at the foot of the monastery, and the abundance of donations made it possible to collect the necessary amount in order to erect a huge temple on the top of the mountain. At the beginning of the 13th century, several hundred regular monks lived on the territory of Mont Saint Michel by the beginning of the 13th century. But gradually the importance of the abbey weakened, and by 1791 the monastic life here ended, giving way to a prison that existed until the end of the Great French revolution... Since 1873, a large-scale reconstruction began, during which Mont-Saint-Michel has a modern appearance... To many, it resembles a castle from the screensaver of the Disney film company, for many years personifying the beauty of medieval castles.

In France, there is one of the most beautiful ancient monasteries - Lerins Abbey. It is located at a distance of three kilometers from Cannes, so most tourists visiting Cannes flock here to touch the history of the Middle Ages.

The Lerinsky Monastery was founded in 410, after a hermit monk settled here in search of solitude. The disciples did not want to leave their spiritual father, so they followed him and established Lerins Abbey on a desert island. By the 8th century, this place had become the most influential region of France and Europe, it owned many possessions, not excluding the village of Cannes.

Without a decent defense, this place became a tasty and easy prey for the Saracens, who plundered the treasury and killed all the monks. Only one of the former inhabitants of the monastery survived - the monk Eleenter, who rebuilt a new temple on the ruins. After that, the buildings were repeatedly destroyed, but the stubbornness of the monks overcame all the troubles. After the French Revolution, the island was sold to a famous actress, where the Gostiny Dvor was located for 20 years. Only in 1859, Bishop Frejus was able to buy it in order to revive the holy place.

Now on the territory of the monastery there are 25 monks who, in addition to spiritual services, are engaged in the cultivation of grapes and the hotel business.

The oldest medieval monasteries in Europe

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It was founded in 613 by St. Gall, an Irish student of St. Columban. Karl Martell appointed Otmar as abbot, who founded an influential art school in the monastery. Manuscripts produced and illustrated by St. Gallen monks (many of whom were from Britain and Ireland) were highly regarded throughout Europe.
Under Abbot Waldo of Reichenau (740-814), a monastery library was founded, one of the richest in Europe; during the invasion of the Hungarians in 924-933. the books were taken to Reichenau. At the request of Charlemagne, Pope Adrian I sent the best singers to St. Gallen, who taught the monks the Gregorian chanting technique.

In 1006, the brethren recorded a supernova explosion, SN 1006.

Since the X century, the monastery "" St. Galla entered into political rivalry with the Reichenau monastery. By the 13th century, the abbots of St. Gallen not only won this confrontation, but also achieved recognition as independent sovereigns within the Holy Roman Empire. In subsequent years, the cultural and political significance of the monastery steadily declined, until in 1712 the Swiss militia entered St. Gallen, which took with them a significant part of the monastery's treasures. In 1755-1768. the medieval buildings of the abbey were demolished and in their place were built grandiose baroque temples.

Despite the losses, the monastery's library of medieval manuscripts now has 160 thousand storage units and is still reputed to be one of the most complete in Europe. One of the most interesting exhibits is the Plan of St. Gall, drawn up in the beginning. IX century and presents an idealized picture of a medieval monastery (this is the only architectural plan that has survived from the early Middle Ages).

Address: Switzerland, St. Gallen
Foundation date: according to legend 613
Main attractions: Monastery library
Coordinates: 47 ° 25 "24.9" N 9 ° 22 "38.8" E

One of the most interesting sights of the eastern part of Switzerland can rightfully be called the Monastery of St. Gall.

Monastery of Saint Gall from a bird's eye view

This majestic and, frankly, a bit gloomy structure, which will surely attract the attention of lovers of ancient monuments of history and culture, is located in the Swiss city of St. Gallen. This small, by modern standards, town, is the capital of one of the many cantons of Switzerland and is proud of the coat of arms, with a formidable bear depicted on it, on whose neck is wearing a collar made of pure gold.

By the way, the tour guide in Switzerland will definitely tell the group that the coat of arms of St. Gallen is closely related to its main attraction, the monastery of St. Gall, and to be extremely precise, with Saint Gall himself. According to an ancient legend, during one of the travels of Saint Gall, a bear attacked his camp: the saint was not at a loss and simply called the bear, which, as if enchanted, approached the fire and threw dry branches into it. The bonfire flared up even more, warming the tired traveler, and as a reward for obedience, the saint gave the bear most of his reserves of bread.

General plan of the monastery

Nowadays, you can always meet tourists near the monastery: the point is that this monastery and its interesting story known far beyond the borders of a European country. The most priceless treasure on our planet is kept behind the walls of the Monastery of Saint Gall. No, these are not gold bars or tiaras adorned with countless precious stones: the monastery stores the knowledge accumulated by mankind over a long period of time. In the building, which every inhabitant of the capital of the canton is proud of, which, by the way, bears the same name as the city - St. Gallen, there is a unique library of its kind.

Historians agree that this Swiss library is considered one of the oldest collections of books in the world. For this reason, the Monastery of Saint Gall, with its annexes and, of course, the library, was included in the legendary UNESCO World Heritage List. This library attracts travelers like a magnet, and this is not surprising: priceless copies of books, which are more than 1000 years old, are kept outside the walls of the monastery. It is interesting that out of more than 170,000 books and folios, only 50,000 are available for inspection. This is due to the fact that many books, due to their age, need a constant microclimate. In the hall, where 50,000 books are displayed on the shelves, you can admire ... real mummies brought by archaeologists from Egypt. People, whose bodies were embalmed and eventually ended up in the library of the monastery of St. Gall, passed away almost 3,000 (!) Years ago.

Monastery cathedral

Monastery of Saint Gall history

Surprisingly, the monastery of St. Gall at one time was considered the largest and most famous among similar Benedictine monasteries in the entire Old World! Naturally, like many architectural monuments throughout its history, the monastery has been rebuilt more than once. Indeed, even the city, in the center of which the building rises, was founded in the 7th century. Tradition says that the founder of the monastery is Saint Gall himself, who performed many miracles. It was this saint who built a cell in the town in 613, where he could live modestly and address prayers to God. Based on official documents, which, despite the inexorable passage of time, miraculously survived in the library, experts argue that the founder of the monastery of St. Gall is not the saint himself, but a certain Otmar, who is mentioned in ancient manuscripts as the abbot of the sacred building.

The Monastery of Saint Gall has gained popularity not only in its own town, but also far beyond its borders. Thousands of pilgrims came to him, many of whom were wealthy people and could afford large donations. Thanks to these donations, the Monastery of Saint Gall for a record short time becomes a kind of religious center, influencing not only St. Gallen, but also the surrounding area.

The wealth, calculated not only by spiritual texts and legends, but also by gold, allows the monastery in the 9th century to start rewriting various religious texts and publishing interpretations of the Bible. It was in those days, or rather in the year 820, and the legendary library of the monastery of Saint Gall was founded... All this became possible because the monastery of the city of St. Gallen in 818 became directly subordinate to the emperor. Numerous uprisings more than once exposed the monastery to the threat of complete destruction: even the indigenous inhabitants of the city, in which it was actually located, tried to destroy the architectural structure with unlimited power. In the middle of the 15th century, considered a turning point for the whole of Switzerland, the city of St. Gallen and the monastery of St. Gall were assigned to the Swiss Union. Interestingly, they were classified separately, as if they were talking about different territorial units.

The abbot of the monastery of St. Gall was also a politician: he refused to obey the Swiss Union and, despite the fact that the building was officially part of it, maintained close ties and fulfilled all the requirements of the Roman Empire. However, this state of affairs did not last long: the Reformation passed a law in 1525 providing for the dissolution of the monastery. For a little over thirty years, the monastery of St. Gall was going through hard times, but already at the end of the 16th century, the building, once built on the site of a monastic cell, becomes ... the center of the principality!

From the 16th to the 18th century, the monastery of St. Gall, using its influence, is constantly enriched. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the abbot decided to rebuild the monastery. It was supposed to have a facade and interior decoration that fully corresponded to the fashion of that era. The design of the monastery in the popular Baroque style was entrusted to two architects: Johann Beer and Peter Tumba. These were last years the heyday of the monastery of St. Gall: in France in 1789, a revolution took place that shook the whole of Europe. All the lands belonging to it are taken from the monastery and completely deprived of power. After the emergence of the Swiss canton of St. Gallen with the capital of the same name, the monastery was dissolved, its former splendor, grandeur and influence remain in the past.

Monastery of Saint Gall in our time

Nowadays, a tourist who comes to the small but cozy town of St. Gallen can see a neat building with a strict facade. As mentioned above, despite the fact that the monastery was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque style, it still looks a little gloomy.

Now it is a cathedral church, divided into two parts by a rotunda. The traveler will be interested to know that the eastern crypt is the only element that remains from a building dating back to the 9th century! Everything else in the Monastery of St. Gall is a "remake" of the 18th century. By the way, according to legend, it was in this crypt that Saint Gall himself was buried, but his grave has not yet been found, which means that this information cannot be called reliable. But the grave of the first abbot of the monastery, Otmar, remained intact, near it are the remains of his successors.

In a church that will surely interest travelers with its interior decoration in the Rococo style, and services continue to this day. Parishioners can offer their prayers to God near the grate, which is trimmed with gold, and some of its parts are painted in turquoise... By the way, this lattice at one time performed a certain function: it separated ordinary mortals from the premises where monks lived and prayed (by the way, rather rich monks).

Sports ground on the territory of the monastery

It is not surprising that the western wing is the most popular tourist destination. An outbuilding where the world-famous library is located. One has only to imagine that among her collection there are almost 500 books written even before the arrival of the Savior in our world. The library is also proud of its dictionary, thanks to which it is possible to translate many words and sayings from Latin into German. This dictionary was created by masters (and earlier books were published exclusively by masters), back in the 790th year. This fact suggests that the oldest German book is kept in a small Swiss town. Still not recovering from what he saw in the library, the tourist immediately finds himself in the lapidarium, which is also located in the western wing. In it, on shelves made of sturdy wood, there are priceless finds discovered during archaeological expeditions. No less interest will be aroused by a huge collection of paintings that do not hang on the walls, but also stand on special shelves. In the same wing, there is also the residence of the bishop, where you can still see the remains of the former grandeur and wealth of the monastery of St. Gall.

The Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz is considered one of the largest active medieval monasteries in the world, it was created in 1133. The monastery is located 25 km from Vienna, on the edge of the Vienna Woods.

Theological Institute

The abbey went through different times. There were periods when the brethren were on the brink of poverty; the monastery was threatened with closure more than once. However, the dissolution was avoided thanks to the opening of the Theological Institute. Monks have always taken care of remote diocesan parishes and were engaged in charity work. The parish still provides psychological assistance to families, supports the elderly, and is engaged in premarital education of young people.

Choir of Heiligenkreuz

The monks restored all buildings, collected a huge library of 50 thousand volumes, and run their own household. The abbey is also famous for its Gregorian singing traditions. The Heiligenkreuz Choir has recorded several albums, with a total circulation of over 500,000 CDs. The discs were a great success.

Heiligenkreuz is a functioning monastery. The monastic brethren comprise 86 people. Tourists can see the monastery only at the set time.

Heiligenkreuz Monastery (Stift Heiligenkreuz), photo by Patrick Costello

Monastery courtyard, photo by Anu Wintschalek