Benedictine Convent of St. John, Müstair
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The Convent of St. John in Müstair, which stands in the upper valley of the Canton of Grisons in Switzerland, is an 8th-century Benedictine convent that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.
It earned the honor by having Switzerland's greatest series of figurative murals (painted around 800 AD), along with important Romanesque frescoes and stuccoes. It is also praised for being "one of the most coherent examples of conventual architecture of the Carolingian period and the Early Middle Ages."
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History
The Convent of St. John seems to have been founded toward 780 by the bishop of Chur at the behest of Charlemagne. It is noted, as being an establishment of Benedictines from the beginning of the 9th century, but it did not become a convent until 1163.
In the conventual church, the removal of the Gothic ceiling (1908-09) and the disengagement of the whitewash (1947-51) brought to light important vestiges of frescoes dating from the Romanesque period (c.1150-70) and, more important still, from the Carolingian period.
The Convent of St. John continues to be active today, and the hospitable Benedictine nuns welcome visitors to their remote hideaway. The convent church is a place of worship for the nuns and for locals, and it functions as the local parish church as well.
 Fresco of an apostle at the Convent of St. John, c.800 AD. |
The frescoes that were uncovered are the most important known cycle of paintings dating from c.800. These figurative paintings are of a fine aesthetic quality and depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments in a limited range of ochres, reds and browns.
The paintings postdate only by very little the frescoes of Castelseprio and San Salvatore of Brescia, and are particularly important in understanding the evolution of certain Christian iconographic themes, like that of the Last Judgement.
Within the enclosure walls of the monastery are found other early elements. Especially notable is the residence of Bishop Norbert in the northwest quarter, with its remarkable decor of frescoes and stucco-work in the two-story chapel (11th and 12th centuries).
The convent's church has a high tower where the abbess lived, and original furniture can still be seen inside the convent.
A small museum and gift shop is run by the convent and helps provide income to the nuns. Their handmade needlepoint is among the products available.
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The village of Müstair is in eastern Switzerland, about 1,245 meters from the Italian border in the Swiss canton of Grisons (map). If you haven't rented a car, you can take a public bus to Müstair (further information here).
The Benedictine nuns of Müstair open their guesthouse to those seeking a retreat for quiet contemplation. In the Spring and Fall they also offer professionally guided weeks of fasting, including contemplation, meditation, and yoga.
| Address: | Clostra San Jon, CH 7537 Müstair, Switzerland |
| Phone: | 0041 (0)81 851 62 28 |
| Fax: | 0041 (0)81 858 62 92 |
| E-mail: | museum@muestair.ch |
| Hours: | May-Oct: M-F: 9-12, 1:30-5 pm;
Sundays and public holidays:
1:30-5 pm; Nov-Apr: M-F: 10-12; 1:30-4:30; Sundays and public holidays: 1:30-4:30 |
| Cost: | Museum: Per person, including guided tour (6 person minimum): adults CHF 12; students CHF 6; children under six, free. |
- Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair - UNESCO World Heritage Advisory Body Evaluation
- Official Website of the Convent of St. John
