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Kloster St. Johann Müstair Kloster St. Johann Müstair

Church & Holy Cross Chapel

Fascinating imagery and Charlemagne

Carolingian religious buildings
The convent of St. John in Müstair was founded in the 8th century, supposedly by Charlemagne; his statue in the convent church is a lasting testimony to this. The monastic complex was built as a unified whole. Today the convent church and the chapel of the Holy Cross are the only remaining buildings from the Carolingian period.

The church - the heart of the convent
Originally the convent church was reserved exclusively for the convent. Today it ist a parish church, and therefore open to all believers. In summer regular services are held here. The nuns' Liturgy of the Hours is also celebrated in the convent church in summer.

The church of the convent of St. John in Müstair contains the largest and best-preserved early medieval fresco cycle in the world. Carolingian and Romanesque paintings embellish the walls and the three apses. The entire history of salvation is depicted. Pictures tell the story of King David from the Old Testament, the childhood, work and suffering of Jesus, as well as the ascension to heaven and second coming of Christ. The apses are dedicated to saints and martyrs: St. John the Baptist, St. Stephen, St Peter and St. Paul.

A guided tour of the church gives visitors an insight into the architecture and history of the convent; it also provides an opportunity to look into the fascinating imagery that was once reserved for monks and clergy.

 

Chapel of the Holy Cross - a Carolingian jewel
Nowadays the chapel of the Holy Cross is set apart from the pathway to the church, but in the 8th century it was directly incorporated in the monastic complex.The upper floor was richly decorated with paintings, marble and stucco. It was used as a chapel, while the basement was originally a crypt and became the funeral chapel at the beginning of the 16th century.

On the outside, the building was decorated with rich architectural paintings. In the course of restoration work, figurative paintings from the Carolingian period were discovered on the east gable. This discovery is unique in Europe. In the basement beams felled in 785 and 788 can be seen, on one of them the miller's game. This is probably the oldest dated beam ceiling in Europe. The original Carolingian mortar floor is still preserved in the choir room on the upper floor.

Since completion of the restoration work in autumn 2018 this jewel can be visited on a guided tour (at the moment only in German). The chapel on the upper floor was newly consecrated by auxiliary bishop Marian Eleganti and can be used as a sacred space.



Opening times
The church is open daily. The chapel of the Holy Cross can be visited only with a guide.

Information available from the convent shop:
T. +41 (0)81 858 61 89

 


Opening times for guided tours:

May – October:
 9:00 – 17:00
Sundays / public holidays: 13:30 - 17:00

November – April: 10:00 – 12:00 und 13:30 – 16:30
Sundays / public holidays: closed in the morning

 

 


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The Carolingian Convent Church

In Carolingian times, the church was painted down to the last corner, and a large part of the Carolingian wall paintings can still be seen today. The film was made in 2013 for the exhibition "Charlemagne and Switzerland" in the Swiss National Museum. Concept and direction by Denise Tonella. The video was filmed in the monastery church of St. John the Baptist in Müstair.

 


Das Kloster St. Johann in Müstair von oben - ein Videoclip

Das Kloster St. Johann in Müstair liegt am östlichsten Zipfel der Schweiz an der Grenze zu Südtirol (I) inmitten der Alpen. Das Kloster ist nicht nur UNESCO Weltkulturerbe sondern auch und vor allem Zentrum benediktinischer Spiritualität. Es ist heute noch von Benediktinerinnen bewohnt.

 

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