The oldest monasteries in Europe in the Middle Ages, building plans. Medieval monasteries. Cultural and economic centers of the Middle Ages

Elizaveta ZOTOVA
Monastic complexes

Initial Gregor and Moralia at work. XII century Bavarian State Library, Munich

In the Middle Ages, monasteries were the most important centers of spiritual and cultural life.

During Romanesque times, many monasteries appeared in Europe, monastic orders were formed, new monastic complexes were built and old ones were rebuilt.

The emergence of monasticism The first monastic communities appeared in the 3rd century in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. But these were not yet monasteries in the medieval sense of the word, but rather associations of hermit monks (heremites). Hermitage is the most early form monasticism. The word “monk” itself comes from the Greek “hermit”. Monasticism appeared in Europe in the second half of the 4th century. The emergence of the first Western monasteries is associated with the name of St. Martin of Tours. But until the 6th century.

there was no single set of rules designed to regulate life monastic community. The authorship of the first charter belongs to St. Benedict of Nursia.

In 530 St. Benedict founded a monastery on Mount Cassino near Naples. In Monte Cassino he created his famous “Charter”, which enjoyed unquestioned authority over the following centuries, until the appearance of others

The main feature of monastic life is that a monk does not have a single free minute that he could devote to idleness that is harmful to the soul or to sinful thoughts. The monk's daily routine is subject to the course of the liturgy of the hours (at a strictly defined time, a strictly defined divine service is carried out). The charter also contains provisions regarding food, clothing, shoes and other things, and the need for common ownership of property is especially emphasized.

Entering the monastic community, the monk took a vow of obedience, sedentarism (he had no right to leave the walls of the monastery without the special permission of the abbot) and, of course, celibacy, thus renouncing everything worldly.

Ideal monastery plan

In the Middle Ages, not only attempts were made to regulate the life of the monastic community, but also to create the monastic complexes themselves according to uniform rules. For these purposes, during the reign of Charlemagne, a plan for an “ideal monastery” was developed, approved by a church council (c. 820); it was kept in the library of the monastery of St. Gallen (Switzerland). It was assumed that during the construction of this monastic complex they would strictly follow this plan.

This plan, designed for an area measuring 500 by 700 feet (154.2 by 213.4 m), included more than fifty buildings for various purposes. Undoubtedly, the center of the monastery complex was the cathedral - a three-nave basilica with a transept. In the eastern part there were choirs for monks. The main nave traditionally ended with an altar. Several small altars were located in the side naves and in the western part, but they did not form a single space with the main nave. The cathedral was planned taking into account the course of the monastic divine service, which differed from the masses served for the laity.

The buildings of the library and the sacristy (treasury) are adjacent to the cathedral. To the right of the cathedral there was a closed courtyard for the monks to walk (in later times, just such a courtyard - the cloister - would become the center of the composition of the monastery complex). The plan shows monastic cells, the abbot's house, a hospital, kitchens, hotels for pilgrims and many outbuildings: a bakery, a brewery, barns, stables, etc. There was also a cemetery combined with an orchard (this solution was supposed to find a philosophical interpretation among the inhabitants of the monastery).

It is doubtful that there were monastic complexes built exactly according to this plan. Even St. Gallen, in whose library the plan was kept, only approximately corresponded to the original plan (unfortunately, the Carolingian buildings of this abbey have not survived to this day). But monasteries were built approximately according to this principle throughout the Middle Ages.

Fortress monasteries

At first glance, many medieval monasteries look more like well-fortified castles of warlike feudal lords than the monastery of humble monks. This was explained by many reasons, including the fact that such monasteries could really play the role of a fortress. During enemy attacks, residents of the city or surrounding villages hid within the walls of the monastery. One way or another, hard-to-reach areas were often chosen as places to build a monastery. Probably the original idea was to reduce as much as possible the access of the laity to the monastery.

The famous abbey, founded by St., was also built on the mountain. Benedict, Monte Cassino. The real fortress is the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. Founded back in the 8th century, the abbey is dedicated to the Archangel Michael and built on a rocky island, which made it impregnable.

Clunians and Cistercians

In the 11th–12th centuries, monastic culture reached an unprecedented peak. Many new monasteries are being built, the prosperity of which sometimes allows the construction of such architectural masterpieces as, for example, the famous cathedral in the Abbey of Cluny. Founded at the beginning of the 10th century. The Benedictine abbey of Cluny occupied a special position, formally reporting directly to the pope. Cluny had a huge influence on the spiritual and political life of medieval Europe. His main cathedral before the appearance was the largest church building in the Christian world. This outstanding piece of architecture was decorated with truly stunning stone carvings (portal, column capitals). The luxurious interiors of the Church of Cluny III were designed to amaze the imagination.

The complete opposite of the Clunians were the abbeys of the new monastic congregation - the Cistercians (from the name of the first monastery of the order - Cistercium). The Cistercians sharply rejected even any hint of luxury; their charter was particularly strict. They considered physical labor to be the basis monastic service, which is why in Cistercian manuscripts we often see images of monks at work. The architecture of Cistercian monasteries was also distinguished by its laconicism. Carved stone decoration, for example, was practically prohibited. But the strictness of monastic life did not at all prevent the Cistercian monasteries, along with the Benedictine ones, from actively participating in the spiritual and political life of Europe. The monasteries of both orders were real centers of culture: they wrote here scientific treatises, ancient and often Arabic authors were translated and copied, and real masterpieces of book art were created in their scriptoria. There were also schools for the laity at the monasteries.

Plan of an ideal monastery. OK. 820

1. house for a retinue of noble guests
2. outbuilding
3. house for noble guests
4. external school
5. abbot's house
6. outbuilding
7. room for bloodletting
8. doctor's house and pharmacy
9. herbalist
10. bell tower
11. gatekeeper
12. school mentor
13. scriptorium, library
14. bath and kitchen
15. hospital
16. indoor gallery
17. entrance to the monastery
18. reception room
19. choir
20. cathedral
21. servants' house
22. sheepfold
23. pigsty
24. goat shed
25. stable for mares
26. barn
27. kitchen
28. chambers for pilgrims
29. cellar, pantry
30. garden for monks' walks, covered gallery
31. heating rooms, bedroom (dormitory)
32. sacristy
33. room for preparing the host and oil
34. indoor gallery
35. kitchen
36. school for novices
37. stable
38. bull shed
39. cooperage
40. lathe
41. barn
42. malt dryer
43. kitchen
44. refectory
45. bath
46. cemetery, orchard
47. brewery
48. bakery
49. threshing
50. mill
51. various workshops
52. threshing floor
53. granary
54. gardener's house
55. vegetable garden
56. chicken coop, goose coop

Elizaveta ZOTOVA
Monastic complexes

Initial Gregor and Moralia at work. XII century Bavarian State Library, Munich

In the Middle Ages, monasteries were the most important centers of spiritual and cultural life.

During Romanesque times, many monasteries appeared in Europe, monastic orders were formed, new monastic complexes were built and old ones were rebuilt.

The first monastic communities appeared in the 3rd century in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. But these were not yet monasteries in the medieval sense of the word, but rather associations of hermit monks (heremites). Hermitage is the earliest form of monasticism. The word “monk” itself comes from the Greek “hermit”.

Monasticism appeared in Europe in the second half of the 4th century. The emergence of the first Western monasteries is associated with the name of St. Martin of Tours. But until the 6th century.

Ideal monastery plan

This plan, designed for an area measuring 500 by 700 feet (154.2 by 213.4 m), included more than fifty buildings for various purposes. Undoubtedly, the center of the monastery complex was the cathedral - a three-nave basilica with a transept. In the eastern part there were choirs for monks. The main nave traditionally ended with an altar. Several small altars were located in the side naves and in the western part, but they did not form a single space with the main nave. The cathedral was planned taking into account the course of the monastic divine service, which differed from the masses served for the laity.

Fortress monasteries

Clunians and Cistercians

there was no single set of rules designed to regulate the life of the monastic community. The authorship of the first charter belongs to St. Benedict of Nursia.

The complete opposite of the Clunians were the abbeys of the new monastic congregation - the Cistercians (from the name of the first monastery of the order - Cistercium). The Cistercians sharply rejected even any hint of luxury; their charter was particularly strict. They considered physical labor to be the basis of monastic service, which is why in Cistercian manuscripts we often see images of monks at work. The architecture of Cistercian monasteries was also distinguished by its laconicism. Carved stone decoration, for example, was practically prohibited. But the strictness of monastic life did not at all prevent the Cistercian monasteries, along with the Benedictine ones, from actively participating in the spiritual and political life of Europe. The monasteries of both orders were real centers of culture: scientific treatises were written here, ancient and often Arabic authors were translated and copied, and real masterpieces of book art were created in their scriptoria. There were also schools for the laity at the monasteries.

Plan of an ideal monastery. OK. 820

Joseph Anton von Koch (1768-1839) "The Monastery of San Francesco di Civitella in the Sabine Mountains." Italy, 1812
Wood, oil. 34 x 46 cm.
State Hermitage Museum. General Staff Building. Hall 352.

Sounds of time

The fine tuning of monastic life would be impossible without many sound signals - primarily the ringing of large and small bells. They called the monks to the services of the hours and to the mass, notified them that it was time to go to the refectory, and regulated physical labor.

Guillaume Durand, Bishop of Mende, in the 13th century, distinguished six types of bells: squilla in the refectory, cimballum in the cloister, nola in the church choir, nolula or dupla in the clock, campana in the bell tower, signum in the tower.

Miniature from the manuscript "Hausbuch der Mendelschen Zwölfbrüderstiftung". Germany, around 1425. Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg

Depending on the tasks, the bells were rung differently. For example, when calling monks to the service of the first hour and to Compline, they struck once, and for the services of the third, sixth and ninth hours - three times. In addition, in monasteries a wooden board (tabula) was used - for example, it was beaten to announce to the brethren that one of the monks was dying.

Schedule

Different abbeys had their own daily routine - depending on the day of the week, simple or holidays etc. For example, in Cluny during the vernal equinox, closer to Easter, the schedule could look like this (all references to the astronomical clock are approximate):

Near 00:30 First awakening; monks gather for all-night vigil.
02:30 The brothers go to bed again.
04:00 Matins.
04:30 They go back to bed.
05:45-06:00 They rise again at dawn.
06:30 First canonical hour; after it, the monks from the church go to the chapter hall (readings from the charter or the Gospel; discussion of administrative issues; accusatory chapter: the monks admit to their own violations and accuse other brothers of them).
07:30 Morning Mass.
08:15-09:00 Individual prayers.
09:00-10:30 Third hour service followed by the main mass.
10:45-11:30 Physical work.
11:30 Sixth hour service.
12:00 Meal.
12:45-13:45 Midday rest.
14:00-14:30 Ninth hour service.
14:30-16:15 Work in the garden or scriptorium.
16:30-17:15 Vespers.
17:30-17:50 Light dinner (except on fasting days).
18:00 Compline.
18:45 The brothers go to bed.

IV. Monastery architecture

Benedict of Nursia in his charter prescribed that the monastery should be built as a closed and isolated space, allowing maximum isolation from the world and its temptations:

“The monastery, if this is possible, should be arranged in such a way that everything necessary, that is, water, a mill, a fish tank, a vegetable garden and various crafts, would be inside the monastery, so that the monks would not have to go outside the walls, which does not at all serve the benefit of souls.” their".

If the architecture of the Romanesque and especially the Gothic temple, with its high windows and vaults reaching towards heaven, was often likened to prayer in stone, then the layout of the monastery, with its premises intended only for monks, novices and converses, can be called discipline embodied in the walls and galleries. A monastery is a closed world where dozens, and sometimes hundreds of men or women must go together to salvation. This is a sacred space (the church was likened to the Heavenly Jerusalem, the cloister to the Garden of Eden, etc.) and at the same time a complex economic mechanism with barns, kitchens and workshops.

Of course, medieval abbeys were not built according to the same plan and were completely different from each other. The early medieval Irish monastery, where a dozen hermit brothers lived in tiny stone cells practicing extreme asceticism, is difficult to compare with the huge Abbey of Cluny in its heyday. There were several cloister courtyards (for monks, novices and the sick), separate chambers for the abbot and a giant basilica - the so-called. the church of Cluny III (1088-1130), which until the construction of the current St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (1506-1626) was the largest church Catholic world. The monasteries of the mendicant orders (primarily the Franciscans and Dominicans, which were usually built in the middle of cities where the brothers went to preach) are not at all similar to the Benedictine monasteries. The latter were often erected in forests or on mountain cliffs, like Mont Saint-Michel on a rocky islet off the coast of Normandy or Sacra di San Michele in Piedmont (this abbey became the prototype of the Alpine monastery described in “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco).

The architecture of the monastery churches and the structure of the entire abbey, of course, depended on the local traditions available building materials, the size of the brotherhood and its financial capabilities. However, it was also important how open the monastery was to the world. For example, if a monastery - thanks to the relics or miraculous images stored there - attracted a lot of pilgrims (like the Abbey of Sainte-Foy in Conques, France), it would need to develop an infrastructure to receive them: for example, expand and rebuild the temple so that pilgrims could gain access to the desired shrines and did not crush each other, to build hospice houses.

The oldest and most famous of medieval plans monasteries was compiled in the first half of the 9th century in the German Abbey of Reichenau for Gosbert, Abbot of St. Gallen (in modern Switzerland). Five sheets of parchment (total size 112 × 77.5 cm) depict not a real, but an ideal monastery. This is a huge complex with dozens of buildings and 333 signatures that indicate the names and purposes of various buildings: churches, scriptorium, dormitory, refectory, kitchens, bakery, brewery, abbot's residence, hospital, house for guest monks, etc.

We will choose a simpler plan that shows how a typical Cistercian monastery might have been structured in the 12th century, similar to the Abbey of Fontenay, founded in Burgundy in 1118. Since the structure of Cistercian abbeys largely followed older models, this plan may reveal much about the life in the monasteries of other Benedictine "families."

Typical monastery

1. Church
2. Cloister
3. Washbasin
4. Sacristy
5. Library
6. Chapter Hall
7. Conversation room
8. Bedroom
9. Warm room
10. Refectory
11. Kitchen
12. Refectory for Converse
13. Entrance to the monastery
14. Hospital
15. Other buildings
16. Large pantry
17. Corridor for Converse
18. Cemetery

1. Church

Unlike the Clunians, the Cistercians strove for maximum simplicity and asceticism of forms. They abandoned the chapel crowns in favor of a flat apse and almost completely eliminated figurative decor from the interiors (statues of saints, subject stained glass windows, scenes carved on the capitals). In their churches, which were supposed to correspond to the ideal of severe asceticism, geometry triumphed.

Like the vast majority of Catholic churches of that time, Cistercian churches were built in the shape of a Latin cross (where the elongated nave was crossed at right angles by a crossbar - transept), and their internal space was divided into several important zones.

At the eastern end was the presbytery (A) where he stood main altar, in which the priest celebrated Mass, and additional altars were placed nearby in chapels located in the arms of the transept.

Gate built on the north side of the transept (B), usually led to the monastery cemetery (18) . On the south side, which adjoined other monastery buildings, it was possible to climb the stairs (C) go up to the monastery bedroom - dormitory (8) , and next to it there was a door (D), through which the monks entered and exited the cloister (2) .

Further, at the intersection of the nave with the transept, there were choirs (E). There the monks gathered for hours and masses. In the choirs, opposite each other, there were two rows of benches or chairs (English stalls, French stalles). IN later Middle Ages they most often had reclining seats, so that during tiring services the monks could either sit or stand, leaning on small consoles - misericordes (remember the French word misericorde - “compassion”, “mercy” - such shelves were indeed a mercy for tired or weak brothers).

Benches were installed behind the choir (F), where during the service the sick brothers, temporarily separated from the healthy ones, were located, as well as novices. Next was a partition (English rood screen, French jubé), on which a large crucifix was installed (G). In parish churches, cathedrals and monastery churches, where pilgrims were admitted, it separated the choir and presbytery, where services were held and the clergy were located, from the nave, where the laity had access. The laity could not go beyond this border and actually did not see the priest, who, in addition, stood with his back to them. In modern times, most of these partitions were demolished, so when we enter a medieval temple, we need to imagine that before its space was not at all unified and accessible to everyone.

In Cistercian churches there may have been a choir for converse in the nave (H)- worldly brothers. From their cloister they entered the temple through a special entrance (I). It was located near the western portal (J), through which the laity could enter the church.

2. Cloister

A quadrangular (less often polygonal or even round) gallery, which adjoined the church from the south and connected the main monastic buildings together. A garden was often laid out in the center. In the monastic tradition, the cloister was likened to a walled Eden, Noah's Ark, where the family of the righteous was saved from the waters sent to sinners as punishment, Solomon’s Temple or Heavenly Jerusalem. The name of the galleries comes from the Latin claustrum - “closed, enclosed space.” Therefore, in the Middle Ages, both the central courtyard and the entire monastery could be called this.

The cloister served as the center of monastic life: through its galleries the monks moved from the bedroom to the church, from the church to the refectory, and from the refectory, for example, to the scriptorium. There was a well and a place for washing - lavatorium (3) .

Solemn processions were also held in the cloister: for example, in Cluny, every Sunday between the third hour and the main mass, the brothers, led by one of the priests, walked through the monastery, sprinkling all the rooms with holy water.

In many Benedictine monasteries, such as the abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos (Spain) or Saint-Pierre de Moissac (France), on the capitals of the columns on which the galleries rested, many scenes from the Bible, lives of saints, allegorical images (as a confrontation between vices and virtues), as well as frightening figures of demons and various monsters, animals intertwined with each other, etc. The Cistercians, who sought to get away from excessive luxury and any images that could distract the monks from prayer and contemplation, expelled such decor from their monasteries.

3. Washbasin

IN Maundy Thursday on Holy Week- in memory of how Christ washed the feet of his disciples before the Last Supper (John 13:5-11) - the monks, led by the abbot, humbly washed and kissed the feet of the poor who were brought to the monastery.

In the gallery adjacent to the church, every day before Compline the brethren gathered to listen to the reading of some pious text - collatio. This name arose because Saint Benedict recommended for this “Conversation” (“Collationes”) John Cassian (about 360 - about 435), an ascetic who was one of the first to transfer the principles of monastic life from Egypt to the West. Then the word collatio began to be used to describe a snack or a glass of wine, which fast days issued to monks this year evening hour(hence the French word collation - “snack”, “light dinner”).

4. Sacristy

A room in which liturgical vessels, liturgical vestments and books were kept under lock and key (if the monastery did not have a special treasury, then relics), as well as the most important documents: historical chronicles and collections of charters, which listed purchases, donations and other acts from which depended material well-being monastery.

5. Library

Next to the sacristy there was a library. In small communities it looked more like a small closet with books; in huge abbeys it looked like a majestic repository in which the characters in “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco are looking for the forbidden volume of Aristotle.

We can imagine what monks read at different times and in different parts of Europe thanks to the inventories of medieval monastic libraries. These are lists of the Bible or individual biblical books, commentaries on them, liturgical manuscripts, works of the Fathers of the Church and authoritative theologians (Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, Jerome of Stridon, Gregory the Great, Isidore of Seville, etc.), lives of saints, collections of miracles, historical chronicles, treatises on canon law, geography, astronomy, medicine, botany, Latin grammars, works of ancient Greek and Roman authors... It is well known that many ancient texts have survived to this day only because they, despite the suspicious attitude towards pagan wisdom, were preserved by medieval monks.

In Carolingian times, the richest monasteries - such as St. Gallen and Lorsch in the German states or Bobbio in Italy - possessed 400-600 volumes. The catalog of the library of the monastery of Saint-Riquier in northern France, compiled in 831, contained 243 volumes. The chronicle, written in the 12th century at the monastery of Saint-Pierre-le-Vif in Sens, provides a list of manuscripts that Abbot Arnauld ordered to be copied or restored. In addition to biblical and liturgical books, it included commentaries and theological works by Origen, Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great, the passion of the martyr Tiburtius, a description of the transfer of the relics of St. Benedict to the monastery of Fleury, the “History of the Lombards” by Paul the Deacon, etc.

In many monasteries, scriptoria functioned at the library, where the brothers copied and decorated new books. Until the 13th century, when workshops where lay scribes worked began to multiply in cities, monasteries remained the main producers of books, and monks remained their main readers.

6. Chapter Hall

The administrative and disciplinary center of the monastery. It was there that every morning (after the first hour service in the summer; after the third hour and morning mass in the winter) the monks gathered to read one of the chapters (capitulum) of the Benedictine Rule. Hence the name of the hall. In addition to the charter, a fragment from the martyrology (a list of saints whose memory was celebrated on each day) and an obituary (a list of deceased brothers, patrons of the monastery and members of its “family” for whom the monks should offer prayers on this day) were read out there.

In the same hall, the abbot instructed the brethren and sometimes conferred with selected monks. There, the novices who had completed the probationary period again asked to be tonsured as monks. There the abbot received the powers that be and resolved conflicts between the monastery and church authorities or secular lords. The “accusatory chapter” was also held there - after reading the charter, the abbot said: “If someone has something to say, let him speak.” And then those monks who knew of some kind of violation by someone or themselves (for example, they were late for service or left a found thing with them for at least one day), had to admit it in front of the rest of the brethren and suffer the punishment that will be appointed by the rector.

The frescoes that decorated the capitular halls of many Benedictine abbeys reflected their disciplinary vocation. For example, in the St. Emmeram Monastery in Regensburg, murals were made on the theme of the “angelic life” of monks struggling with temptation, modeled on St. Benedict, their father and legislator. In the monastery of Saint-Georges de Bocherville in Normandy, images of corporal punishment to which offending monks were sentenced were carved into the arcades of the capitular hall.

Granet Francois-Marius (1775-1849) “Meeting of the monastery chapter.” France, 1833
Canvas, oil. 97 x 134.5 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

7. Conversation room

The Rule of Saint Benedict ordered the brothers to remain silent most of the time. Silence was considered the mother of virtues, and closed lips were considered “a condition for the peace of the heart.” Collections of customs of different monasteries sharply limited those places and moments of the day when the brothers could communicate with each other, and the lives described the heavy punishments that fall on the heads of talkers. In some abbeys, a distinction was made between the “great silence” (when it was forbidden to speak at all) and the “little silence” (when it was possible to speak in a low voice). IN separate rooms- churches, dormitory, refectory, etc. - idle conversations were completely prohibited. After Compline there was to be absolute silence throughout the entire monastery.

In case of emergency, it was possible to talk in special rooms (auditorium). In Cistercian monasteries there could be two of them: one for the prior and monks (next to the chapter hall), the second primarily for the cellarer and converse (between their refectory and kitchen).

To facilitate communication, some abbeys developed special sign languages that made it possible to transmit the simplest messages without formally violating the charter. Such gestures did not mean sounds or syllables, but entire words: the names of various rooms, everyday objects, elements of worship, liturgical books, etc. Lists of such signs were preserved in many monasteries. For example, in Cluny there were 35 gestures for describing food, 22 for items of clothing, 20 for worship, etc. To “say” the word “bread”, one had to make a circle with two little fingers and two index fingers, since bread was usually baked round. In different abbeys the gestures were completely different, and the gesticulating monks of Cluny and Hirsau would not understand each other.

8. Bedroom, or dormitorium

Most often, this room was located on the second floor, above or next to the chapter hall, and it could be accessed not only from the cloister, but also through a passage from the church. Chapter 22 of the Benedictine Rule prescribed that each monk should sleep on a separate bed, preferably in the same room:

«<…>...if their large number does not allow this to be arranged, let them sleep ten or twenty at a time with the elders, who are in charge of taking care of them. Let the lamp in the bedroom burn until the morning.

They must sleep in their clothes, girdled with belts or ropes. When they sleep, they should not have their knives with which they work, cut branches, etc., at their sides, so as not to injure themselves while sleeping. Monks must always be ready and, as soon as a sign is given, immediately get up and rush, one ahead of the other, to the work of God, decorously, but also modestly. The youngest brothers should not have beds next to each other, but let them be mixed with the elders. As we take up the work of God, let us encourage each other brotherly, dispelling the excuses invented by the drowsy.”

Benedict of Nursia instructed that a monk should sleep on a simple mat, covered with a blanket. However, his charter was intended for a monastery located in southern Italy. IN northern lands- say, in Germany or Scandinavia - compliance with this instruction required much greater (often almost impossible) dedication and contempt for the flesh. In different monasteries and orders, depending on their severity, different measures of comfort were allowed. For example, Franciscans were required to sleep on bare ground or on planks, and mats were only allowed for those who were physically weak.

9. Warm room, or calefactorium

Since almost all the rooms of the monastery were not heated, a special warm room was set up in the northern lands where the fire was maintained. There the monks could warm up a little, melt frozen ink or wax their shoes.

10. Refectory, or refectorium

In large monasteries, the refectory, which was supposed to accommodate the entire brethren, was very impressive. For example, in the Parisian Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés the refectory was 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. Long tables with benches were placed in the shape of the letter “U”, and all the brethren were seated behind them in order of seniority - just like in the choir of a church.
In Benedictine monasteries, where, unlike the Cistercian ones, there were many cultic and didactic images, frescoes depicting the Last Supper were often painted in the refectory. The monks were to identify themselves with the apostles gathered around Christ.

11. Kitchen

The Cistercian diet was primarily vegetarian, with some fish included. There were no special cooks - the brothers worked in the kitchen for a week, and on Saturday evening the team on duty gave way to the next one.

For most of the year, the monks received only one meal a day, in the late afternoon. From mid-September to Lent (beginning around mid-February) they could eat for the first time after the ninth hour, and in Lent- after supper. Only after Easter did the monks receive the right to another meal around noon.

Most often, the monastic lunch consisted of beans (beans, lentils, etc.), designed to satisfy hunger, after which the main course was served, including fish or eggs and cheese. On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, each person usually received a whole portion, and on fasting days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, one portion for two.

In addition, to maintain the strength of the monks, every day they were given a portion of bread and a glass of wine or beer.

12. Refectory for Converse

In Cistercian monasteries, lay brothers were separated from full-fledged monks: they had their own dormitory, their own refectory, their own entrance to the church, etc.

13. Entrance to the monastery

The Cistercians sought to build their abbeys as far as possible from cities and villages in order to overcome the worldliness in which, over the centuries since the time of St. Benedict, the “black monks,” especially the Clunians, had become mired. Nevertheless, the “white monks” also could not completely isolate themselves from the world. They were visited by laymen, members of the monastery “family”, related to brothers by ties of kinship or who decided to serve the monastery. The gatekeeper, who watched the entrance to the monastery, periodically greeted the poor, who were given bread and leftover food left uneaten by the brothers.

14. Hospital

Large monasteries always had a hospital - with a chapel, a refectory, and sometimes with its own kitchen. Unlike their healthy counterparts, patients could count on enhanced nutrition and other benefits: for example, they were allowed to exchange a few words during meals and not attend all the long services.

All the brothers were periodically sent to the hospital where they were subjected to bloodletting (minutio), a procedure considered extremely useful and even necessary to maintain the correct balance of humors (blood, mucus, black bile and yellow bile) in the body. After this procedure, the weakened monks received temporary indulgences for several days to restore their strength: exemption from all-night vigils, an evening ration and a glass of wine, and sometimes delicacies like roast chicken or goose.

15. Other buildings

In addition to the church, the cloister and the main buildings where the lives of monks, novices and converses took place, the monasteries had many other buildings: the abbot’s personal apartments; a hospice for poor travelers and a hotel for important guests; various outbuildings: barns, cellars, mills and bakeries; stables, dovecotes, etc. Medieval monks were engaged in many crafts (they made wine, brewed beer, tanned leather, processed metals, worked on glass, produced tiles and bricks) and actively developed natural resources: they uprooted and felled forests, mined stone, coal , iron and peat, developed salt mines, built water mills on rivers, etc. As they would say today, monasteries were one of the main centers of technical innovation.

Klodt Mikhail Petrovich (1835-1914) “Trash in the Catholic Franciscan monastery.” 1865
Canvas, oil. 79 x 119cm.
Ulyanovsk Regional Art Museum.

Literature:
. Duby J. Time of Councils. Art and Society, 980-1420. M., 2002.
. Karsavin L.P. Monasticism in the Middle Ages. M., 1992.
. Leo of Marsican, Peter the Deacon. Chronicle of Montecassino in 4 books. Ed. prepared by I.V. Dyakonov. M., 2015.
. Moulin L. Everyday life medieval monks of Western Europe (X-XV centuries). M., 2002.
. Peter Damiani. Life of St. Romuald. Monuments of medieval Latin literature of the X-XI centuries. Rep. ed. M. L. Gasparov. M., 2011.
. Uskov N. F. Christianity and monasticism in Western Europe early Middle Ages. German lands II/III - mid-XI. St. Petersburg, 2001.
. Ekkehard IV. History of the St. Gallen Monastery. Monuments of medieval Latin literature of the X-XII centuries. M., 1972.
. Monastic Rule of Benedict. The Middle Ages in its monuments. Per. N. A. Geinike, D. N. Egorova, V. S. Protopopov and I. I. Shitsa. Ed. D. N. Egorova. M., 1913.
. Cassidy-Welch M. Monastic Spaces and Their Meanings. Thirteenth-Century English Cistercian Monasteries. Turnhout, 2001.
. D'Eberbach C. Le Grand Exorde de Cîteaux. Berlioz J. (ed.). Turnhout, 1998.
. Davril A., Palazzo E. La vie des moines au temps des grandes abbayes, Xe-XIIIe siècles. Paris, 2010.
. Dohrn-van Rossum G. L'histoire de l'heure. L'horlogerie et l'organisation moderne du temps. Paris, 1997.
. Dubois J. Les moines dans la société du Moyen Âge (950-1350). Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France. Vol. 164. 1974.
. Greene P. J. Medieval Monasteries. London; New York, 2005.
. Kinder T. N. Cistercian Europe: Architecture of Contemplation. Cambridge, 2002.
. Miccoli G. Les moines. L'homme médiéval. Le Goff J. (dir.). Paris, 1989.
. Schmitt J.-C. Les rythmes au Moyen Âge. Paris, 2016.
. Vauchez A. La Spiritualité du Moyen Âge occidental, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle. Paris, 1994.
. Cluny. Roux-Périno J. (ed.). Vic-en-Bigorre, 2008.
. Elisabeth of Schönau. The Complete Works. Clark A. L. (ed.). New York, 2000.
. Raoul Glaber: les cinq livres de ses histoires (900-1044). Prou M. (ed.). Paris, 1886.

Cuvillier Armand (active c. 1846) “The Monastery of the Dominicans at Voltri.” France, Paris, first half of the 19th century.
Chinese paper, lithograph. 30 x 43 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

Hanisch Alois (b. 1866) "Melk Monastery." Austria, late XIX - early XX centuries.
Paper, lithography. 564 x 458 mm (sheet)
State Hermitage Museum.

J. Howe “The Procession of the Monks.” Great Britain, XIX century.
Paper, steel engraving. 25.8 x 16 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

This is Louis (1858-1919) "Thistle flower with a view of a monastery in the background." Album "Golden Book of Lorraine". France, 1893 (?)
Paper, pen and ink, watercolor. 37 x 25 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) "View of the Monastery of Villambrosa." Sheets from the suite of illustrations for the biography of St. John Gualbert “Views of the Monastery of Villambroso.” Italy, XVII century.
Paper, etching. 17.4 x 13.2 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

Bronnikov Fedor Andreevich (1827-1902) “Capucin.” 1881
Wood, oil. 40.5 x 28 cm.
Kherson Regional Art Museum named after A.A. Shovkunenko.

Eduard von Grützner (1846-1925) “Monk with a Newspaper.” Germany, third quarter of the 19th century.
Canvas, oil. 36 x 27 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

Callot Jacques (1592-1635) “Pogrom of the Monastery.” Sheets from the suite “The Great Disasters of War (Les grandes miseres de la guerre).” France, XVII century.
Paper, etching. 9 x 19.4 cm
State Hermitage Museum.

Unknown Flemish artist, con. XVII century "Hermit monks." Flanders, XVII century.
Wood, oil. 56 x 65.5 cm.
State Hermitage Museum.

We have all heard about monasteries in France, Spain, Italy, Greece... but almost nothing is known about German monasteries, and all because due to the Reformation of the Church in the 16th century, most of them were abolished and have not survived to this day . However, in southern Germany, near Tübingen, one very interesting monastery has survived.

Bebenhausen was founded in 1183 by the Count Palatine of Tübingen and monks of the Cistercian Order settled there, although the monastery was built by monks of another Order - the Premonstrans, but for some reason they left the monastery a couple of years after its construction. The monastery was quite rich and owned good plots on which the monks were engaged in agriculture, including growing vineyards. The independence of the monastery was ensured by the charter of Emperor Henry VI and the bull of Pope Innocent IIII. In addition, the monastery owned a large area of forest where it was possible to hunt. In 1534, the monastery was abolished due to the fact that Protestantism came to these lands and Catholic monasteries were no longer needed here, but the monks continued to live here until 1648. Since then, the monastery has been used as a Protestant school, at one time was the residence of the Württemberg kings, who hunted in the same forest, and was also used as the place where the regional parliament met. Now it is just a museum, but the monastery is unique in that it has been preserved much better than others. The architecture of the monastery is a fine example of German Gothic from the late 15th century. The original Romanesque buildings from the 12th and 13th centuries were simply rebuilt.

Monastery plan

It is no more than a kilometer from the northern outskirts of Tübingen, so you can do without a car. In addition, there are buses between and Tübingen with a stop at the monastery - 826 (828) and 754, running between Sinterfingen and Tübingen.

For those with a car, just turn off the L1208 road and almost immediately you will see free parking right next to the walls of the monastery.

There's a red bus just ahead on the right

The monastery itself is more reminiscent of a medieval, fortified village. There are powerful walls and towers, but there are also cozy private houses, as well as vegetable gardens. Going behind the walls is not difficult - it's free. You can explore most of the monastery this way.

First you go up the stairs and get behind the first walls

Then we rise even higher

One of the two fortification towers

Parade ground

Green Tower. Obviously named after the color of the tiles

Between the walls

Village outside the walls

This is the former Abbots' House, now the museum's directorate is located here.

House of Abbots

This, as I understand it, is the castle of the kings of Württemberg. It consists of several halls and a kitchen and is connected by a corridor to the main building of the monastery

Corridor connecting the castle and the monastery

Hall under the main castle building

Behind the walls

The main building of the monastery is on the right

In the depths of the courtyard near the rear walls there is a monastery church, but there is no entrance to it

In this part of the monastery, near the walls, there is a monastery cemetery

Here at the corner of the walls there is a second fortification tower - the Record Tower (Schreibturm). Below it there is another entrance to the monastery, obviously the main one.

Houses outside the walls of the monastery. There is another public parking here

South wall of the monastery

Western wall of the monastery

Recording Tower

Abbots' House

Medicinal garden

And finally, having walked around the entire territory of the monastery, we came to the main building

Here you can purchase a ticket and explore the main building of the monastery and its church. At the checkout, don’t forget to ask for a description of the monastery in Russian, here you will be given a pack of files that will tell you about all the rooms of the monastery

At first glance, this is just a souvenir shop with cash registers; in fact, there was a monastery kitchen here, as evidenced by the preserved stove. According to the monastery charter, the monks ate here 2 times a day, and in winter, due to the shortened daylight hours, only 1 time. The diet consisted of 410 grams of bread, vegetables, fruits and eggs. Sick brothers were allowed to eat meat. On holidays they gave white bread, fish, and wine.

Inside the monastery, traditional galleries around the garden await us.

The first hall in this part of the monastery will be the refectory; it was located right next to the kitchen, but until the end of the 15th century, lay people, not monks, ate here. In 1513, a refectory was built on this site - that is, a warm heated room for the winter (the room was heated by stoves located in the basement). And this is the winter refectory hall.

The carved pillars supporting the ceiling have many interesting designs, including pretzel and crayfish.

The fresco depicts the visit of Abbot Humbert von Citeaux in 1471

The walls and ceilings of the hall are decorated with the coats of arms of the founders of the monastery, monks, abbots and German princes

From 1946 to 1952 the local Landtag met here

From the winter refectory we find ourselves in the novices' refectory, which until 1513 was a storeroom. This room, like the one next to it, was heated. The painting on the ceiling is original and dates back to 1530. The door in the far right corner led to the novices' bedrooms.

As for the number of novices, there is information that at the end of the 13th century there were 130 people at the monastery. The novices ate the same way as the monks.

Now there is a small museum of the monastery treasures

Pay attention to Saint Sebastian's arrow, this is what they tried to kill him with. The relic is very important, since Saint Sebastian was believed to protect against the plague, and because of it, many people died in the monastery at one time.

From the part of the monastery intended for novices, we find ourselves in the northern wing of the gallery. Here the monks read, and also some rituals took place here, for example, washing the feet. In addition, dead brothers were often buried in this wing. On the other side of the gallery there is the entrance to the monastery church, where marks are carved on the wall about the size of the burials of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, which were brought from the holy land by Count Eberhard in 1492

Western Gallery, Novice Wing

Here on the walls after the Reformation many left information about themselves

From the northern wing of the gallery we find ourselves in the monastery church in honor of the Virgin Mary. It was built in 1228. This is a three-nave basilica in the Romanesque style, very austere, as befits Cistercian architecture. True, before the Reformation
The church was decorated much more richly; in particular, it contained as many as 20 altars.

According to the monastery daily routine, services were held here 7 times during the day and 1 time at night.

The most noteworthy detail here is the chancellor (cathedra) from 1565, decorated with stucco

Immediately at the entrance to the church there is a staircase that leads to the monks' cells - the dormitorium. This is the only place in the monastery where the second floor is accessible to visitors. Until 1516 there was a common bedroom here, then separate rooms (cells) appeared. The walls and ceiling are decorated with plant motifs. In addition, at the entrance, inscriptions from the monastery charter have been preserved. The tiles here are also ancient, dating back to the 13th century. In the middle of the 20th century, when the Landtag was located in the monastery building, parliamentarians slept here

One of the rooms is available for inspection

Washbasins

At the staircase to the floor there are a number of rooms, for example, there was a library and archive of the monastery.

The first room on the ground floor of this part of the building is the chapterhouse - the place where the monks gathered. Every day this happened at 6 am. There were benches along the walls, and the abbot sat opposite the entrance. The most worthy were also buried here, as evidenced by the large number of gravestones. This is the oldest part of the monastery, dating back to 1220. The painting of the vaults was carried out in 1528.

On the left at the far end of the chapterhouse there is a small room where Archduke Ferdinand of Austria lived in 1526, preparing for confession

The next room in the east wing is the parlatorium. The fact is that according to the rules, Cistercian monks were forbidden to speak; the only room where this could be done was the parlatorium. Moreover, one could come here only for a short conversation on business. Originally, a staircase led upstairs to the bedrooms, but it was destroyed in the 19th century.

Under the floor of the hall there was a heating installation that was older than the monastery itself

Some exhibits are now on display here.

The color scheme of the monastery shows which eras certain parts of the building belong to

In the southern wing of the building there is one of the largest and most beautiful rooms of the monastery - the Summer Refectory. It was built in 1335 in the Gothic style to replace a similar Romanesque building

The walls here are decorated with coats of arms

And the original ceiling painting tells about the plant world and depicts fantastic animals

And only here, in the southern wing of the galleries, I discovered that their vaults were decorated no less exquisitely. Each intersection is crowned with 130 relief decorations and not a single one is repeated. Initially, this part housed a calofactorium (heated room), but after it was built to the west, the one located here was destroyed.

And the last room of the monastery accessible to visitors is the source, a kind of gazebo located opposite the entrance to the refectory. In the center of this room there was a fountain with drinking water, in addition, the brothers washed their hands here before eating. Unfortunately, the room itself and the fountain were destroyed and were restored only in 1879.

Two interesting images have been preserved above the entrance to the room with the source.

Man in fur hat looks like the builder himself

And this is the legendary jester and joker, the hero of fairy tales - Till Eulenspiegel

And after exploring all the halls of the monastery, we finally go out into the garden with a fountain

The 19th century fountain itself

As you can see, all the galleries had a second floor; unfortunately, only the dormitory in the eastern wing is accessible to tourists.

During the warm season, the monastery is open every day from 9 to 18.00, and only on Mondays there is lunch here from 12 to 13.00. In winter, the monastery is closed on Mondays, and on other days it is open from 10 to 12 and from 13 to 17. A ticket costs 5 euros. However, filming on site is free of charge. In addition, separately, but only with a guide, on the territory of the monastery you can explore the palace of the Württemberg kings of the 19th century, as well as the castle kitchen.

If you're in these parts, don't forget to see Tübingen itself - a very interesting city. You can also stay there for the night, I recommend the hotel for this

For many centuries, the abbey served as a place of residence for people who decided to devote their lives to serving God. In the Middle Ages, the cultural, scientific and educational life of cities was concentrated in them, libraries were opened and stored. Today, medieval monasteries in Europe are extremely popular among tourists; a significant part of them are attractions and objects of cultural heritage.

general information

The word "monastery" comes from the Greek "alone, lonely." This is a religious community of men or women (monks and nuns), which owns a complex of buildings (economic, religious and residential) and which has a single charter. In other words, abbeys are entire small cities capable of providing themselves with everything: food, water, clothing, and necessary household items. They were also surrounded by a wall and could defend themselves while help rushed to them.

Abbeys are Western Catholic monasteries governed by an abbot or abbess. Some Orthodox monasteries are called laurels: for example, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

An interesting fact for presentation in class: monasteries exist not only in Christianity, but also in Buddhism, but Protestantism does not recognize monasticism.

First religious communities appeared back in the 3rd century AD. e. in Egypt, when Christianity began to actively spread, and its laws became less strict. Wanting to retire and devote themselves exclusively to God, people went to the deserts and mountains, remaining there. They were called hermits and hermits.

The first monastery was founded by St. Pachomius the Great. He united the lonely houses of hermits, built a wall around them for protection, and drew up uniform rules and daily routines that all residents had to follow. In 318 he drew up the first monastic charter.

After the death of Pachomius the Great, monasteries began to spread through Palestine to Constantinople. In the West, abbeys began to appear after 340, when the Bishop of Alexandria Athanasius the Great visited Rome. In Rus', the first monks were Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk - the founders of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

Distribution in Europe

The monasteries of the Middle Ages in Europe quickly became rich structures and looked like fortresses (this can be seen in the pictures and descriptions). This was facilitated by donations from local residents, kings and knights (many even bequeathed their lands to monasteries so that the latter would remember them in prayers), exemption from taxes and unpaid labor (the monks themselves worked in the fields and in workshops without receiving pay).

At the same time, monasteries were also creative centers of education and science. The secular education of Ancient Greece and Rome was prohibited because it was based on heretical thoughts and teachings. Schools at the monasteries were the only ones. They provided education in accordance with religious requests. For example, astronomy was needed not for studying the planets and stars, but for calculating the dates of church holidays; grammar was needed for reading the Bible and rewriting it.

Education was conducted in Latin all year round, discipline was extremely strict, and offenses were punished physically. And yet it is worth noting that in those days, monasteries were places of concentration of science and art: artists, sculptors, musicians, thinkers, writers, even alchemists lived and worked in them (for example, the Franciscan Roger Bacon). Subsequently, many abbeys turned into universities.

Places to visit

The first monasteries were founded in the IV-V centuries. Some of them have survived to this day and are active. Most of them are open for visits and excursions. Additional information messages about opening hours and visiting procedures can be found on the websites of each monastery.

Abbey of St. Catherine

The oldest monastery in Europe in the Middle Ages is monastery Saint Catherine is located in South Sinai in Egypt. In the 3rd century, at an altitude of 1.5 thousand meters on Mount Sinai (the sacred place where God appeared to Moses and gave him the commandments), hermits began to gather. They settled in the caves one by one and gathered for worship.

In the 4th century, a monastery itself appeared on this site, named after the Transfiguration or the Burning Bush. In the 8th century, the relics of St. Catherine were brought to the abbey; in the 11th century, the name was changed to its modern one.

Today the monastery is one of the oldest in the world. IN beginning of XXI century it was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. Thanks to its location, the place was never destroyed or captured, and therefore the monks managed to preserve a large amount of valuables.

The treasures of the monastery include:

Relics of Saint Catherine open for veneration.
The burning bush is a thorn bush in which God appeared to Moses when transmitting the commandments.
A library containing more than 3 thousand manuscripts and 5 thousand books. Here are several sheets of the ancient Bible and the first psalter in the Slavic language, books printed in the first decade of printing, and important documents.
A unique collection of icons, some of them were painted in the 6th century with wax paints.
The well of Moses, near which he met the daughters of the priest Raguel.

Pilgrims can get inside from 9 am to 12 pm. The Burning Bush and the front part of the church are available for inspection; Orthodox Christians can also go to the library and chapel. TO appearance visitors are subject to certain requirements: clothing must be modest and covered, women should cover their hair.

Saint Gall

The Benedictine Abbey of St. Gallen was founded in 613 by the Irish monk St. Gall in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. In 1983 it was included in the UNESCO list.

The monastery was the largest European cultural and scientific center in the Middle Ages. Here were located:

An art school whose manuscripts and illustrations were highly valued.
A singing school that taught Gregorian chant.
The poets Notker Zaika and Tuotilo, and the master of literature Notker Gubasty worked here.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of the 18th century, the militia invaded the monastery and took away a significant part of the wealth. In the second half of the same century, the medieval buildings were dismantled, and new churches in the Baroque style appeared in their place.

Despite the losses, there is something to see in the monastery. His library is considered one of the largest: it contains about 160 thousand items. Among the especially interesting ones are the architectural plan of an ideal monastery of the early 9th century, more than 2 thousand manuscripts VIII-XV (including the “Song of the Nibelungs”), more than 1.5 thousand incunabula (books published before the advent of printing). The library is open to visitors.

Admont in Austria

The Catholic monastery is located on the Enns River in the city of Admont. It is the oldest in the federal state of Styria in southeastern Austria.

The history of the place is amazing and varied:

It was founded in 1074 by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg.
In 1120 he was joined by convent, abolished in the XVI-XVII.
In the 12th century, a scriptorium (a workshop for copying manuscripts) was created, after which unique books remained.
During the war with Turkey and during the Reformation, the monastery experienced decline. Prosperity began only during the Counter-Reformation.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Prominent sculptors and artists worked here, including Joseph Stammel and Benno Haan.
The fire of 1865 seriously damaged Admont: the library was damaged and Franz Christmann's organ was destroyed. Restoration work was completed only in 1890.
In the 1930s, the Great Depression nearly bankrupted the abbey. To raise money, I had to sell some art treasures.
Under the National Socialists, the monks were evicted. They returned only after the Second World War.

Today, Admont's main attraction is its library - the largest monastic library in the world. Its length is 70 meters, the ceilings are decorated with frescoes, and sculptures are located along the walls. In addition, the monastery has several collections: insects, minerals and rocks, historical and modern art.

On the Lérins Islands

The Catholic Lérins Abbey is located on the island of Saint-Honorat near Cannes in France. It belongs to the Cistercian order.

The abbey was founded around 410 by Saint Honoratus, whose relics were kept here. Already in the 8th century it became one of the most influential and largest in Europe: about 500 people lived here. The residents were distinguished by their social activity: they founded new monasteries or became bishops. The monastery owned a significant part of the land and a fishing village; at the end of the 11th century, a fort was built for protection from the sea.

And yet, at the end of the 18th century, the abbey was closed and began to collapse. The relics of Honoratus were transferred to Grasse Cathedral. The revival of the place began in mid-19th with the arrival of the Cistercians. Unfortunately, only the courtyard and towers have survived from the old buildings; the new ones were built in the Romanesque style.

Because the monastery remains active and the monks lead an ascetic life, only part of the island is open to visitors. A church, a museum with manuscripts and a covered gallery around the courtyard are available. The eastern half is closed, it is called the “silence zone”. About 25 monks live there.

25 km west of Vienna, on the edge of the Vienna Woods, the Cistercians founded the Monastery of the Holy Cross or Heiligenkreuz in 1133. Today it is one of the largest active abbeys of the order and a large, well-preserved medieval complex.

In 1182, a cross with fragments was given to the Austrian Duke from Jerusalem as a gift life-giving cross The Lord's. After 6 years The Duke transferred the relic to Heiligenkreuz, where it is still stored. The gift led to the prosperity of the place: pilgrims flocked here.

However, in the XV-XVI centuries. Due to epidemics, fires and attacks, decline began. At the end of the 17th century, during the siege by the Turks, the abbey was burned, and a huge library was destroyed. Restoration began only after the defeat of the enemy.

Under King Joseph II, who closed many monasteries, Heiligenkreuz was saved only thanks to the founding of the Theological Institute (today the Philosophical-Theological Higher School). Under the National Socialists, a significant part of the land was taken away, several monks were arrested. Only after the Second World War did the monastery return everything back.

Tourists can only enter the territory at designated times and visit a limited area.

Other options

Of course, these are not all medieval monasteries that tourists can visit. Almost every country has several places of this kind. A list of medieval monasteries in Europe with plans and pictures can be found additionally on websites, as well as in reports and projects on this topic.

Below are some abbeys (according to Wikipedia):

Monastery of Saint Mauritius of Agon in Switzerland. Founded in 515. In the 1st century BC. e. here was the Roman temple of the god Mercury, and later the Theban legion under the command of Saint Mauritius was martyred at this place.
Candida Cassa ("White House") in Scotland. Saint Ninian built the first in 397 christian temple made of stone in Scotland. Soon a settlement formed around it.
Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland. The founding date is considered to be 934. According to legend, Saint Meinrad lived here, a German monk who brought with him a miraculous statue of the Madonna. The statue burned down in a fire in 1465 and was replaced by a gift from the abbess from Zurich. The sculpture was called “Black Madonna”.
Monastery of Mont Saint Michel in France. Mont Saint Michel is a small fortified island founded in 709. The abbey was built in the 11th century by the Benedictines. It was closed several times, the last time at the end of the 18th century, but in 1969 a small community (7 people) settled here again.

European medieval monasteries attract large numbers of tourists from all over the world due to their preserved buildings and riches that are difficult to describe. Many of them remain operational, and therefore not all territories are accessible to visitors, and they must also comply with some visiting conditions.

Scorpion

Initial Gregor and Moralia at work. XII century Bavarian State Library, Munich

In the Middle Ages, monasteries were the most important centers of spiritual and cultural life.

Initial Gregor and Moralia at work. XII century Bavarian State Library, Munich

In the Middle Ages, monasteries were the most important centers of spiritual and cultural life.

general information

Distribution in Europe

Places to visit

Abbey of St. Catherine

Saint Gall

Admont in Austria

On the Lérins Islands

Other options

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