Benedictine Convent of Saint John
Encyclopedia
The Convent of Saint John is an ancient Benedictine
monastery
in Müstair
village of Val Müstair
, Switzerland, and, by reason of its exceptionally well-preserved heritage
of Carolingian art
, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site
since 1983.
It is believed that the abbey was established ca. 780 by a bishop of Chur
, perhaps under orders from Charlemagne
. It was built during a wave of monastery construction that included the nearby monasteries at Cazis
, Mistail
, Pfäfers
, and Disentis
. The abbey was located along the Val Müstair
pass over the Alps
from Italy
and was fortified to allow it to control the pass. In 881 the abbey passed over to be completely under the control of the Bishop of Chur
. During the early years of the abbey, in the early 9th century, a series of fresco
s were painted in the church. Later, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the abbey experienced a second expansion and new paintings were added or painted over the old frescos. These paintings were lost and were only rediscovered in the 20th century.
In the 10th century, the church tower was added to the abbey church. During the expansion of the 11th century the bishop of Chur enlarged his residence at the monastery. A fine tower home
, cloister
, and the double chapel of St. Ulrich and St. Niklaus were added. During the expansion, the two-story residence chapel of the bishop was also decorated with extensive stucco
and fresco work. At some time in the 12th century it was converted from a monastery into a convent
. The change to a nun
nery is first mentioned in 1167, but it happened sometime before this date.
The Swabian War
, which was an attempt by the Habsburgs to assert control over the Grisons and key alpine passes, started at the convent. On 20 January 1499, Habsburg troops occupied the surrounding valley and plundered the convent, but were soon driven back by the forces of the Three Leagues
at the Battle of Calven
. Following the raid, an armistice was signed between the Habsburgs and the Three Leagues. However this armistice only lasted a few days before the conflicts broke out between the Three Leagues' Old Swiss Confederacy
allies and the Habsburg troops. These raids quickly escalated into the Swabian War, which ended in September 1499 with the Treaty of Basel
granting virtual independence to the Swiss Confederacy.
About 1500 the convent church was modified from a single-nave
Carolingian construction into a three-nave late gothic
church. Shortly thereafter, in 1524 and 1526, the Ilanzer Articles weakened the temporal power of the bishop of Chur and reduced the financial support of the convent. There was limited construction on the convent following this reduction in income.
In the spirit of the Council of Trent
the bishop issued a series of reforms governing religious life from 1600 to 1614. The reforms included who could receive sacrament
s and created a new Breviary
. Other policies, such as the requirement for common sleeping areas, were also relaxed in this era.
Throughout the history of the Convent of Saint John there were conflicts between the bishop of Chur, the Grey League
, and the House of Habsburg. The Convent's spiritual leader, the abbess
, and the physical leader, the vogt
, were often chosen by one of these three powers.
During the 20th-century restoration works, some Romanesque
frescoes from the 1160s were discovered here. Other murals are dated to Charlemagne
's reign. The UNESCO recognized these as "Switzerland's greatest series of figurative murals, painted c. A.D. 800, along with Romanesque frescoes and stuccoes".
The original single nave
church with five apse
s has several significant Early Middle Ages
fresco
es from around 800. The paintings are organized in five rows that stretch from the southern wall across the west wall to the northern wall. The top row features scenes from the life of King David
of the Hebrew Bible
/Old Testament
. The next three rows show scenes from the youth, life, and Passion
of Christ. The bottom row contains scenes from the crucifixion
of St. Andreas. On the western wall the rows are tied together with an image of the Last Judgment
. The paintings were done in a limited range of colors including ochre
, red, and brown and help in the "comprehension of the evolution of certain Christian iconographic themes, like that of the last judgment".
The apses and the eastern wall were repainted in the 12th century with Romanesque
frecsos showing a variety of biblical
themes including the dinner of Herod Antipas
(where the dancing of Herodias
' daughter leads to the execution of John the Baptist
), the wise and foolish virgins
, apostles, and St. Stephen
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Müstair
Müstair
Müstair is a village in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. In 2009 Müstair merged with Fuldera, Lü, Switzerland, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Tschierv and Valchava to form Val Müstair....
village of Val Müstair
Val Müstair
Val Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
, Switzerland, and, by reason of its exceptionally well-preserved heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
of Carolingian art
Carolingian art
Carolingian art comes from the Frankish Empire in the period of roughly 120 years from about AD 780 to 900 — during the reign of Charlemagne and his immediate heirs — popularly known as the Carolingian Renaissance. The art was produced by and for the court circle and a group of...
, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
since 1983.
History
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
, perhaps under orders from Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. It was built during a wave of monastery construction that included the nearby monasteries at Cazis
Cazis
Cazis is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Portein, Präz, Sarn and Tartar merged into the municipality of Cazis.-Geography:...
, Mistail
Alvaschein
Alvaschein is a municipality in the district of Albula in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Coat of arms:...
, Pfäfers
Pfäfers
Pfäfers is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The villages Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön and Vättis belong to the municipality.-History:...
, and Disentis
Disentis Abbey
Disentis Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the Canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, around which the present town of Disentis grew up.-Foundation to 19th century:...
. The abbey was located along the Val Müstair
Val Müstair
Val Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
pass over the Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was fortified to allow it to control the pass. In 881 the abbey passed over to be completely under the control of the Bishop of Chur
Bishop of Chur
The Bishop of Chur is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chur, Grisons, Switzerland .-History:...
. During the early years of the abbey, in the early 9th century, a series of fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s were painted in the church. Later, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the abbey experienced a second expansion and new paintings were added or painted over the old frescos. These paintings were lost and were only rediscovered in the 20th century.
In the 10th century, the church tower was added to the abbey church. During the expansion of the 11th century the bishop of Chur enlarged his residence at the monastery. A fine tower home
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
, and the double chapel of St. Ulrich and St. Niklaus were added. During the expansion, the two-story residence chapel of the bishop was also decorated with extensive stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
and fresco work. At some time in the 12th century it was converted from a monastery into a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
. The change to a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
nery is first mentioned in 1167, but it happened sometime before this date.
The Swabian War
Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
, which was an attempt by the Habsburgs to assert control over the Grisons and key alpine passes, started at the convent. On 20 January 1499, Habsburg troops occupied the surrounding valley and plundered the convent, but were soon driven back by the forces of the Three Leagues
Three Leagues
The Three Leagues was the alliance of 1471 of the League of God's House, the League of the Ten Jurisdictions and the Grey League, leading eventually to the formation of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Most of the lands of Graubünden were part of the Roman province Raetia in 15 BC...
at the Battle of Calven
Battle of Calven
The Battle of Calven took place on May 22, 1499 at the exit of the Val Müstair in the Grisons to the Vinschgau in County of Tyrol between the forces of king Maximilian I of the House of Habsburg and those of the free federation of the Three Leagues of the Grisons...
. Following the raid, an armistice was signed between the Habsburgs and the Three Leagues. However this armistice only lasted a few days before the conflicts broke out between the Three Leagues' Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
allies and the Habsburg troops. These raids quickly escalated into the Swabian War, which ended in September 1499 with the Treaty of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
granting virtual independence to the Swiss Confederacy.
About 1500 the convent church was modified from a single-nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
Carolingian construction into a three-nave late gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church. Shortly thereafter, in 1524 and 1526, the Ilanzer Articles weakened the temporal power of the bishop of Chur and reduced the financial support of the convent. There was limited construction on the convent following this reduction in income.
In the spirit of the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
the bishop issued a series of reforms governing religious life from 1600 to 1614. The reforms included who could receive sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s and created a new Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
. Other policies, such as the requirement for common sleeping areas, were also relaxed in this era.
Throughout the history of the Convent of Saint John there were conflicts between the bishop of Chur, the Grey League
Grey League
The Grey League , sometimes called Oberbund, formed in 1395 in the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein valleys, Raetia. The name Grey League is derived from the homespun grey clothes worn by the people. The league became part of the canton of Graubünden. The Grey League allied itself to the two other...
, and the House of Habsburg. The Convent's spiritual leader, the abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
, and the physical leader, the vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
, were often chosen by one of these three powers.
Paintings
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
frescoes from the 1160s were discovered here. Other murals are dated to Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
's reign. The UNESCO recognized these as "Switzerland's greatest series of figurative murals, painted c. A.D. 800, along with Romanesque frescoes and stuccoes".
The original single nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
church with five apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s has several significant Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es from around 800. The paintings are organized in five rows that stretch from the southern wall across the west wall to the northern wall. The top row features scenes from the life of King David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
/Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. The next three rows show scenes from the youth, life, and Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
of Christ. The bottom row contains scenes from the crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
of St. Andreas. On the western wall the rows are tied together with an image of the Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
. The paintings were done in a limited range of colors including ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
, red, and brown and help in the "comprehension of the evolution of certain Christian iconographic themes, like that of the last judgment".
The apses and the eastern wall were repainted in the 12th century with Romanesque
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
frecsos showing a variety of biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
themes including the dinner of Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
(where the dancing of Herodias
Herodias
Herodias was a Jewish princess of the Herodian Dynasty. Asteroid 546 Herodias is named after her.-Family relationships:*Daughter of Aristobulus IV...
' daughter leads to the execution of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
), the wise and foolish virgins
Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, is one of the well known parables of Jesus. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament...
, apostles, and St. Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
.
External links
- Kloster Müstair limited information in English