Switzerland - Abbey Cathedral of St. Gallen

The history of the monastery of St. Gallen (St. Gall) is dating back to the year 612, when an Irish monk named Gallus was on a preaching pilgrimage through Europe. He stumbled on a stone and dropped to a knee at the edge of the Steinach River, where he spotted a hungry bear. He gave the bear some of his bread, perhaps a bribe as not to eat him, but purportedly an offering to help him build a shelter. After Gallus' death, the spot grew in importance as a place of worship and a Benedictine monastery was founded in 747 by St Otmar and named after Gallus.

The Abbey of St Gallen and its monastery grew in stature and wealth, becoming a religious principality, ruled by Prince-Bishops. The Abbey Cathedral at St Gallen survived both the reformation and French Revolution, but under the influence of Napoleon in 1805, when the Canton of St Gallen was established, both the monastery and its political rule were dissolved.

The current cathedral was built between 1755 and 1767 and is one of the last monumental baroque monastic constructions in Europe. A white interior is adorned with malachite green stucco-work, rose marble altars and a gilded altar fence (main picture). The opulently ceiling frescoes (PiP 2) depict biblical characters. The interior is decorated with numerous carvings; among them a wonderful pulpit (PiP 3), several confessionals and eighty four choir seats (PiP 4).

Several of the buildings of the former monastery now house municipal offices. The Abbey Cathedral of St Gallen (PiP 1), the abbey library and the surrounding monastery buildings – (the St. Gallen Abbey District) - was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.