Highlights in the 1250-year history of the convent
According to legend, after his coronation as king of the Lombards, Charlemagne was caught in a snowstorm on the Umbrail Pass but escaped unscathed.
History
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
The Benedictine Convent of St John was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List at the meeting of the World Heritage Committee from 5 to 9 December 1983 in Florence, at the same time as the Abbey of St Gallen and the old City of Bern as well as big-name sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
«ora et labora»
Nothing should take priority over prayer. The Benedictine tradition is usually summarised as ‘ora et labora’ (pray and work). This principle dates back to the late Middle Ages. The full version is ‘ora et labora et lege’. These three verbs express the synthesis of the Benedictine tradition synthesis: pray, work, read.
About the convent
Life behind the convent walls
Life in the convent is a life in community, with a balanced alternation of prayer, work and spiritual reading. The Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair has been inhabited continuously since its foundation in the 8th century.
Life in the convent
Preservation and restoration, building culture and sustainability
The new competence centre for mediaeval research, building culture and sustainability, monument preservation and restoration and historical craftsmanship is an internationally visible nationwide platform offering a special combination of theory and practice.
SAVAIR competence centre
Research for the future of the convent
The Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair is not only a historical jewel, but also a lively centre of research. Archaeological excavations, building surveys and art-historical analyses shed light on the convent’s development over the centuries.
To research
We preserve cultural treasures
The restoration and conservation work at the Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair is essential for the preservation of its rich cultural heritage.
To restoration
Twelve centuries of the convent, building and art history
The museum gives you a sense of the nuns and their spirit.
To the museum
