Martin M. Miles' photos

Early October brought snow to the mountains of Graubuenden, the easternmost canton of Switzerland. The French and English name of the canton is Grisons. Three of the four national Swiss languages are spoken here: German, Italian and Romansh.

Early October brought snow to the mountains of Graubuenden, the easternmost canton of Switzerland. The French and English name of the canton is Grisons. Three of the four national Swiss languages are spoken here: German, Italian and Romansh.

Oberwinterthur is since 1922 part of Winterthur. The parish church St. Arbogast is located on a "church hill", where in Roman times the settlement "Vitudurum" was established. Archeologists have excaveted much of the Roman "vicus", that had its center, where the church is now. It is proven, that already in the 1st century houses existed an a street was built. During the Alamanii invasions, the place got fortified. The date of the construction around 294 AD is documented by an inscription stone. At the same place the predecessor building of the St. Arbogast was erected in the 6th/7th century. The dedication to Saint Arbogast of Strassburg may link this church to Frankish king Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingians. The church of today was erected probably in the end of the 12th century. Here is the Romanesque nave. The frescoes were created in the early 14th century. Here is the "Weighing of souls".

Oberwinterthur is since 1922 part of Winterthur. The parish church St. Arbogast is located on a "church hill", where in Roman times the settlement "Vitudurum" was established. Archeologists have excaveted much of the Roman "vicus", that had its center, where the church is now. It is proven, that already in the 1st century houses existed an a street was built. During the Alamanii invasions, the place got fortified. The date of the construction around 294 AD is documented by an inscription stone. At the same place the predecessor building of the St. Arbogast was erected in the 6th/7th century. The dedication to Saint Arbogast of Strassburg may link this church to Frankish king Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingians. The church of today was erected probably in the end of the 12th century. Here is the Romanesque nave. The frescoes were created in the early 14th century. Here is the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday.

Oberwinterthur is since 1922 part of Winterthur. The parish church St. Arbogast is located on a "church hill", where in Roman times the settlement "Vitudurum" was established. Archeologists have excaveted much of the Roman "vicus", that had its center, where the church is now. It is proven, that already in the 1st century houses existed an a street was built. During the Alamanii invasions, the place got fortified. The date of the construction around 294 AD is documented by an inscription stone. At the same place the predecessor building of the St. Arbogast was erected in the 6th/7th century. The dedication to Saint Arbogast of Strassburg may link this church to Frankish king Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingians. The church of today was erected probably in the end of the 12th century. The frescoes all around the nave were created in the early 14th century. Here is a hunting scene.

Oberwinterthur is since 1922 part of Winterthur. The parish church St. Arbogast is located on a "church hill", where in Roman times the settlement "Vitudurum" was established. Archeologists have excaveted much of the Roman "vicus", that had its center, where the church is now. It is proven, that already in the 1st century houses existed an a street was built. During the Alamanii invasions, the place got fortified. The date of the construction around 294 AD is documented by an inscription stone. At the same place the predecessor building of the St. Arbogast was erected in the 6th/7th century. The dedication to Saint Arbogast of Strassburg may link this church to Frankish king Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingians. The church of today was erected probably in the end of the 12th century. Here is the Romanesque nave. The frescoes were created in the early 14th century.

Oberwinterthur is since 1922 part of Winterthur. The parish church St. Arbogast is located on a "church hill", where in Roman times the settlement "Vitudurum" was established. Archeologists have excaveted much of the Roman "vicus", that had its center, where the church is now. It is proven, that already in the 1st century houses existed an a street was built. During the Alamanii invasions, the place got fortified. The date of the construction around 294 AD is documented by an inscription stone. At the same place the predecessor building of the St. Arbogast was erected in the 6th/7th century. The dedication to Saint Arbogast of Strassburg may link this church to Frankish king Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingians. The church of today was erected probably in the end of the 12th century. It is known for its frescoes from the early 14th century.

The small parish church of Rheinau, seen from Kloster Rheinau. It was probably built, when the The adjoining settlement adjoining the abbey was founded in the 12th century. Saint Christopher guards the little bridge.

Kloster Rheinau (= Rheinau Abbey) was founded on an island in a sheltered bend of the River Rhine about 778. In 1114 a Romanesque basilica was dedicated here. The adjoining settlement of Rheinau, today the village, was founded by Rudolf von Lenzburg in 1126. When in 1529 the Reformation came from Zurich, the abbey was abandoned for a short while. It was re-established in 1532, and became a centre of the Counter-reformation. In the 18th century Kloster Rheinau enjoyed a late resurgence. The abbey church and the monastic complex got rebuilt in Baroque style. The convent existed here upto 1862. In 1867 a hospital was set up and later the building hosted a very large psychiatric clinic that was finally closed in 2000. The massive towers probably date back to teh Romanesque basilica.

Kloster Rheinau (= Rheinau Abbey) was founded on an island in a sheltered bend of the River Rhine about 778. In 1114 a Romanesque basilica was dedicated here. The adjoining settlement of Rheinau, today the village, was founded by Rudolf von Lenzburg in 1126. When in 1529 the Reformation came from Zurich, the abbey was abandoned for a short while. It was re-established in 1532, and became a centre of the Counter-reformation. In the 18th century Kloster Rheinau enjoyed a late resurgence. The abbey church and the monastic complex got rebuilt in Baroque style. The convent existed here upto 1862. In 1867 a hospital was set up and later the building hosted a very large psychiatric clinic that was finally closed in 2000.

The easiest way to reach the Swiss village Rheinau, located at a bend of the Rhine River, from Swiss Schaffhausen, is, as the Rhine forms the Swiss-German border here, to enter Germany and cross this covered bridge, that links Rheinau to the German village Altenburg. The right side of a river is Swiss, the left German.

Seen from the nothern side of the Rhine-valley is the Munot, a ring-shaped 16th century fortress, surrounded by vineyards.

The left tower is that of the Muenster, the former abbey church of Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") (see previous uploads). The right tower belongs to the (now) protestant Saint Joseph church, the parish church before the Reformation. Seen from the northern side of the Rhine valley.

Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") is a former Benedictine monastery, founded by Eberhard VI. von Nellenburg in 1049. The Nellenburg family controlled the bypass of the Rheinfall waterfalls, what led to great wealth. The construction site of the monastery was consecrated by by Pope Leo IX and the works were completed already 1064. The church was dedicated to the Saviour, the Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary and All the Saints. Allerheiligen became, instead of the Reichenau Abbey, the new grave lay by the founding family, and Eberhard himself became a monk in the abbey, and died here in 1078. During the Investiture Controversy the pope loyal Burkhard von Nellenburg, Ebergard´s son and heir, conformed in 1080 all of the rights of the monastery. The monastery was subordinate to the Pope, and received the vast estate of the Nellenburg family, the free election of the abbot, and the town of Schaffhausen. Burkhard remained the monastery's Vogt, and motivated the abbot to join with some monks from the Hirsau Abbey, to reform the monastery on the model of Hirsau, that was based on Cluny During the Reformation in Switzerland, the abbey was abolished, and the church of the abbey (seen here) became the second main city church in 1524. Kloster Allerheiligen is a labyrinthic complex of buildings. These two elephants were hard to find. They are only centimeters over the street level. They are carved into one of the foundation stones of the Romanesque tower. In 1150 Abbot Ulrich had planned to build two towers for the "Muenster", but only one was completed. The elephants are not that exact as the elephant seen in the loggia. They look much more like mythical animals. Seen here is actually a copy, as the orginal carving is safeguarded in the museum meanwhile.

Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") is a former Benedictine monastery, founded by Eberhard VI. von Nellenburg in 1049. The Nellenburg family controlled the bypass of the Rheinfall waterfalls, what led to great wealth. The construction site of the monastery was consecrated by by Pope Leo IX and the works were completed already 1064. The church was dedicated to the Saviour, the Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary and All the Saints. Allerheiligen became, instead of the Reichenau Abbey, the new grave lay by the founding family, and Eberhard himself became a monk in the abbey, and died here in 1078. During the Investiture Controversy the pope loyal Burkhard von Nellenburg, Ebergard´s son and heir, conformed in 1080 all of the rights of the monastery. The monastery was subordinate to the Pope, and received the vast estate of the Nellenburg family, the free election of the abbot, and the town of Schaffhausen. Burkhard remained the monastery's Vogt, and motivated the abbot to join with some monks from the Hirsau Abbey, to reform the monastery on the model of Hirsau, that was based on Cluny During the Reformation in Switzerland, the abbey was abolished, and the church of the abbey (seen here) became the second main city church in 1524. Kloster Allerheiligen is a labyrinthic complex of buildings. The abbey´s church ("Muenster") was erected 1090-1095. It is the largest, still existing Romanesque Romanesque structure in Switzerland.

Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") is a former Benedictine monastery, founded by Eberhard VI. von Nellenburg in 1049. The Nellenburg family controlled the bypass of the Rheinfall waterfalls, what led to great wealth. The construction site of the monastery was consecrated by by Pope Leo IX and the works were completed already 1064. The church was dedicated to the Saviour, the Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary and All the Saints. Allerheiligen became, instead of the Reichenau Abbey, the new grave lay by the founding family, and Eberhard himself became a monk in the abbey, and died here in 1078. During the Investiture Controversy the pope loyal Burkhard von Nellenburg, Ebergard´s son and heir, conformed in 1080 all of the rights of the monastery. The monastery was subordinate to the Pope, and received the vast estate of the Nellenburg family, the free election of the abbot, and the town of Schaffhausen. Burkhard remained the monastery's Vogt, and motivated the abbot to join with some monks from the Hirsau Abbey, to reform the monastery on the model of Hirsau, that was based on Cluny During the Reformation in Switzerland, the abbey was abolished, and the church of the abbey became the second main city church in 1524. Kloster Allerheiligen is a labyrinthic complex of buildings. The cloister is the largest in Switzerland and it is dotted with graffiti, carved in after the Reformation. Here are two different stones with strange parallels. Do mathematicians, contemplating about spirals or other geometric patterns, carve in graffiti? That exact??

Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") is a former Benedictine monastery, founded by Eberhard VI. von Nellenburg in 1049. The Nellenburg family controlled the bypass of the Rheinfall waterfalls, what led to great wealth. The construction site of the monastery was consecrated by by Pope Leo IX and the works were completed already 1064. The church was dedicated to the Saviour, the Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary and All the Saints. Allerheiligen became, instead of the Reichenau Abbey, the new grave lay by the founding family, and Eberhard himself became a monk in the abbey, and died here in 1078. During the Investiture Controversy the pope loyal Burkhard von Nellenburg, Ebergard´s son and heir, conformed in 1080 all of the rights of the monastery. The monastery was subordinate to the Pope, and received the vast estate of the Nellenburg family, the free election of the abbot, and the town of Schaffhausen. Burkhard remained the monastery's Vogt, and motivated the abbot to join with some monks from the Hirsau Abbey, to reform the monastery on the model of Hirsau, that was based on Cluny During the Reformation in Switzerland, the abbey was abolished, and the church of the abbey became the second main city church in 1524. Kloster Allerheiligen is a labyrinthic complex of buildings. The cloister is the largest in Switzerland.

Kloster Allerheiligen (= "All Saints Abbey") is a former Benedictine monastery, founded by Eberhard VI. von Nellenburg in 1049. The Nellenburg family controlled the bypass of the Rheinfall waterfalls, what led to great wealth. The construction site of the monastery was consecrated by by Pope Leo IX and the works were completed already 1064. The church was dedicated to the Saviour, the Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary and All the Saints. Allerheiligen became, instead of the Reichenau Abbey, the new grave lay by the founding family, and Eberhard himself became a monk in the abbey, and died here in 1078. During the Investiture Controversy the pope loyal Burkhard von Nellenburg, Ebergard´s son and heir, conformed in 1080 all of the rights of the monastery. The monastery was subordinate to the Pope, and received the vast estate of the Nellenburg family, the free election of the abbot, and the town of Schaffhausen. Burkhard remained the monastery's Vogt, and motivated the abbot to join with some monks from the Hirsau Abbey, to reform the monastery on the model of Hirsau, that was based on Cluny During the Reformation in Switzerland, the abbey was abolished, and the church of the abbey became the second main city church in 1524. Kloster Allerheiligen is a labyrinthic complex of buildings. This building was outside the "clausura". It connected the offices of the abbot with the guest rooms. The lower part (first and second storey) including the loggia were erected in the early 13th century. There are some extraordinary carvings. A second, closer look onto the elephant. Probably created by the same artist, who carved the nearby Samson (foliage). Depicted here (pretty precise!) is probably the "Cremona elephant", a present to Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II by Sultan Al-Kamil, in 1229. Frederick used the elephant in his triumph parades. On the elephant´s back is a (wooden) castle, placed on a carpet. The "Cremona elephant" was the second elephant, that reached Europe in medieval times. The first was (more than 400 years earlier) "Abul Abbas", a present to Charlemagne from Harun al-Rashid.