Murbach - Abbaye de Murbach

The Murbach Abbey was founded 727 by Eberhard d'Eguisheim, nephew of St. Odile (of Alsace) and Saint Pirmin, abbot of Mittelzell Abbey at Reichenau Island (Lake Constance), who established the "Regula Benedicti" here.

The Murbach Abbey was founded 727 by Eberhard d'Eguisheim, nephew of St. Odile (of Alsace) and Saint Pirmin, abbot of Mittelzell Abbey at Reichenau Island (Lake Constance), who established the "Regula Benedicti" here.

The abbey prospered, got pretty wealthy and gained some political importance. Even Charlemagne hold the title of a laic "abbot of Murbach for three years.

This good times ended in 936, when the Hungarians invaded the Alsace and destroyed the abbey. The abbey recovered over the next centuries, but ended, after the benedictian rule was given up, as a collegiate for a nobel clientel in the 18th century, existing up to the French Revolution.

The abbey-church, constructed around 1150 got consecrated 1216 and dedicated to Saint Leger. The three original naves got knocked down 1738, to give room for a (then very trendy) baroque church, that never got built. Since 1760 it serves as a parish church of the village, what did not prevent it from getting devasted by rioters during the French Revolution. So all still existing are the transept and the choir.

There are many very artistic carvings. I uploaded photos of earlier visits, so now I´ll only add, what was left out so far.

A head as the base for one of the pillars of the arcade-gallery. All heads of the gallery are carved probably by one master carver. All faces have these very specific eyes (often bulging out). This head is carved from a reddish sandstone.

Again a "strong" gesture. Both hands up to the head. A gesture of surprise, maybe even of scare. It often translates to OMG ("Oh My God").

If this gesture is corresponds to that of the carved neighbour (cuckoo!), then this guy is just surprised, that the onlooker is such a stupid.