Müstair
- Maximus Nostramabus
- Jul 21, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 2
A mediaeval monastery with a well-preserved gallery of Carolingian art - Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair 269; Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovation 01558
What and Why
The Benedictine Convent of Saint John (Romansh: Claustra Benedictina da Son Jon), named after Saint John the Baptist (Hebrew: יוחנן המטביל, Yvhnn Hmtbyl) is an abbey established all the way in 780 BCE in the small village of Müstair of Switzerland (Svizra). According to legends, Charlemagne (né Charles Martel), King of the Carolingian Empire (Latin: Romanorum sive Francorum Imperium) was travelling in the region, when he was hit by a massive snowstorm. He survived the storm without major harm and as a devout Christian he was thus thankful to the supreme powers and hence decided to establish a monastery to commemorate his miraculous survival. It is very likely that it was the Bishop of Chur who founded the monastery at Charlemagne's behest.
The monastery became an important centre for Christian education, just as any other monasteries during Charlemagne's time. In particular, Charlemagne identified the location as ideal for the spread of Christianity as it was almost the cross-roads of the Alps (German: Alpen) where there were plenty of travellers and pilgrims from all of Europe. During the construction of these monasteries, a lot of artisans were recruited who used their skills to paint and decorate the monasteries, with most of these decors based on the manuscripts written by the monks. Saint John's abbey collected probably the finest examples of these art, known as Carolingian art, and became a centre for a period of cultural explosion called the Carolingian Renaissance (French: renaissance carolingienne).
It is in the conventual church that one can observe and admire the Carolingian frescoes that date back to the early 9th century. Although the frescoes and murals have lost their hue due to the ravages of time, they remain the most important preserved Carolingian frescoes in situ in Europe.
Toponymy
The name Müstair is the Romansh (Rumantsch) derivative of the German word 'münster' meaning 'minster' or 'cathedral'.
See
To start off with, the place is really far. It is really a hamlet in the middle of nowhere. We were staying in Saint Moritz (Sankt Moritz) and it took me almost two hours of driving to reach the convent. My wife decided not to join me and asked me to go ahead myself as she did not want to spend four hours driving to see an old convent, or according to her, for me to simply tick a box. Honestly it was not a bad decision from her, as not only the journey was long, it was a treacherous and breathtaking drive (to be described later), needing to pass through a whole national forest before reaching the destination. I was all alone trying to persuade myself the value of this lonely road trip.
Benedictine Convent of Saint John (Claustra benedictina da Son Jon)
The monastery complex is actually quite small and looks a bit like a farmstead from the outside, as below. One can easily explore the entire place within one hour if one goes without looking at the details on the paintings.
Due to the age of the convent, it actually shows a wide range of artistic and architectural styles, ranging from Carolingian and Romanesque to Gothic (German: Gotik) and Rococo. The central conventual church was built during the 9th century and survives until today with various renovations undertaken during the 15th century. The main clock tower, called the Planta tower (Torra Planta) was built in 960 but reconstructed in 1499 and is the oldest fortified tower in Europe.
The inner convent is pretty dark as there are not much electric light. However my eyes opened immediately when I saw the first sights of the frescoes. Most of the frescoes are in the conventual church and almost all of them dates back the the 9th century. As expected all of them are discoloured and worn down. Whatever the state they give a glimpse of the mediaeval art during the Carolingian Renaissance period. Artistically I was told that the frescoes are an outstanding example of mediaeval Christian iconography, depicting scenes from the Bible (Greek: βιβλία, biblia), especially by default the life of Jesus (Hebrew: ישוע, Yeshua). Their style reflects a blend of Roman, Byzantine, and local influences, showcasing the transition from late antiquity to the mediaeval period. The use of bright and vivid colours and the detailed portrayal of figures are particularly remarkable, revealing the artistic techniques and religious sensibilities of the time. Many of the paintings are now housed in the small museum, but during the time it was closed for renovation.
Other frescoes as below.
As the church was converted to a convent during its history, there are a number of portraits depicting punishment to women. The church did remind me of the Boyana Church (Боянска Църква, Boyanska Tsărkva) in our blogged Sofia (София).
Swiss National Park (Parc Naziunal Svizzer)
During the journey to the church, one has to drive past the Swiss National Park (Parc Naziunal Svizzer) via a hilly highway. Established in 1914, the national park was the first national park of Switzerland, and it covers a massive area of more than 180 km² with wide-ranging topography. The park naturally is populated by various types of local animals and plants. The park is extremely well managed, as in everything Swiss, with very well-marked trails and clear signboards.
The Swiss National Park was created with a radical principle for its time: nature should be allowed to develop without direct human intervention. Unlike many managed landscapes or national parks in Europe, the park follows a strict 'hands-off' conservation philosophy, meaning that natural ecological processes are permitted to evolve freely. So while the park is properly managed, interventions are kept to a minimal. Moreover unlike many modern national parks designed primarily for recreation, the Swiss National Park was conceived as a 'complete nature reserve' dedicated to total wilderness and rigorous scientific research.
While I did not spend too much time inside the park, I did stop by to read some of the signboards. It struck me that the park operates under an uncompromising code to protect natural processes. Some of the rules that I read which sound very harsh are:
Visitors are strictly forbidden from stepping off the officially marked hiking trails or designated resting areas. How is it enforced is beyond me, as I did not see too many cameras around.
Absolutely nothing may be taken from or left in the park, including as quoted a speck of dead leaf. Plucking a flower, picking up a stone, or taking a fallen branch are all considered illegal and subject to a fine if charged by the park warden. Even dead trees must be left to rot naturally where they fall.
Dogs are completely banned from the park. Camping, barbeque, campfires, and swimming in lakes or streams are completely prohibited, again subject to a fine if found and charged.
I do have to confess I did not spend much time in the park as I was just using it as as pass-by. Hopefully I would be able to discover its inner charm later, without picking up a flower.
Experience, Buy and Do
Bauhütte Stiftung Pro Kloster Sankt Johann
As I have blogged previously in Strasbourg, I have come across the church builders' guild called Bauhütte and the monastery does possess its own Bauhütte, which I have to say I was extremely fortunate to meet the team on site and see them actually working.
The concept of Bauhütte dates from the Middle Ages, when craftsmen formed collaborative lodges to manage large building projects, especially many massive cathedrals of Europe were largely built this way. The Bauhütte at Müstair revives this mediaeval model as an ideal formula for the present and future management, maintenance and restoration of this important, living cultural monument. In fact this particular Bauhütte, called Bauhütte Stiftung Pro Kloster Sankt Johann was formed in 2004 in order to conduct research and preservation work of the monastery.
This Bauhütte is a genuine public-private partnership. The monastic community, and its foundation, the local government all work closely together. The convent community clearly sits at the centre as owner and occupant, while the foundation manages restoration work through private sponsors and public subsidies.
What do they actually do, other than research and restoration? Turns out the scope is remarkably broad and much wider than I thought. The Bauhütte serves as a coordination centre covering research, documentation and archiving, long-term planning, construction management, restoration, maintenance, accounting, foundation management, and communications and public relations. Ther person-in-charge, really spent a long time trying to explain to me all of the above, and almost trying to make sure that I could absorb all of these words!
The key challenge the team has to navigate is a delicate tension: the monastery is simultaneously a living space for Benedictine nuns, a restoration object, an archaeological research site, and a UNESCO WHS. While the area is fairly remote and hence tourisms and wear and tear are generally less compared to other WHS, the nuns are certainly not trained to manage the demands of a major international-class heritage site. The regular archaeological works also demands technical coordination between various parties and hence that Bauhütte is to handle this massive web of work.
The Bauhütte's work has attracted serious scientific attention. The monastery's wall paintings are some of the richest in the world and researchers working alongside the Bauhütte use cutting-edge preservation techniques. That was what I witnessed directly during my conversations, unfortunately I was unable to film and photograph due to the delicate nature of these paintings, except for some generic ones like the one above.
The Bauhütte model for the monastery has proven so successful that its expertise now extends beyond the monastery itself. The long experience of the Bauhütte in the fields of ancient craftsmanship and medieval history is being made available to other historic buildings of the region, including the Hotel Chasa Chalavaina Müstair, one of the oldest hotels in Switzerland, which is being preserved as part of the wider heritage ensemble.
Bauhütte is becoming not only a historic heritage only, but one of the most thoughtful and complete models of living heritage management in Europe, balancing the daily life of a working convent, the demands of UNESCO stewardship, cutting-edge conservation science, and traditional craftsmanship, all under one roof.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
Honestly the only way is to drive, as the town is situated at a very remote region of the Alps. There is a bus to our blogged Saint Moritz (Sankt Moritz) but it is not regular and the journey is more than two hours. Müstair is around one hour drive away from Saint Moritz (German: Sankt Moritz) where we stayed. The jaw-dropping Fuorn Pass (Pass dal Fuorn) is the only highway that passes through the Swiss National Park and Müstair.
Notice that we have entered the Romansh-speaking region of Switzerland.
The abbey is an easy half-day side-trip while the Swiss National Park should be a full day exploration from Saint Moritz, only if you have a car.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The Convent of Müstair, which stands in a valley in the Grisons, is a good example of Christian monastic renovation during the Carolingian period. It has Switzerland's greatest series of figurative murals, painted c. A.D. 800, along with Romanesque frescoes and stuccoes.
The workshop organization, or Bauhüttenwesen, appeared in the Middle Ages on the construction sites of European cathedrals. Now, as then, these workshops are home to various trades working in close collaboration. The term Bauhüttenwesen in German refers both to the organization of a workshop network dealing with the construction or restoration of a building and to the workshop itself, as a place of work. Since the end of the Middle Ages, these workshops have formed a supra-regional network extending beyond national borders. The workshops safeguard the traditional customs and rituals of their professions, as well as a wealth of knowledge transmitted across the generations, both orally and in writing. Faced with the progressive shortage of technical skills and in an age of increasing mechanization and cost optimization, the workshops created or re-established in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have become institutions that preserve, transmit and develop traditional techniques and know-how. Their commitment to safeguarding and promoting living heritage, through targeted awareness raising, information and communication measures and close cooperation with shareholders in the field of politics, the church, monument conservation, business and research, can be considered as an example to be adapted and implemented in other contexts worldwide. Through their organization and training system for on-site practice, the workshops could be considered as a model for all types of buildings that need to be built and maintained.
References
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Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-in-depth travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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