Mariastein Abbey
Kloster Maria Stein ( also Maria in stone, French Notre Dame de la Pierre ) is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Metz alder Maria Stein in Canton Solothurn ( Dorneck ). Mary Stone is the second most important place of pilgrimage to Einsiedeln in Switzerland.
Legend and pilgrimage history
Legend has it that a small shepherd boy high on the rocky plateau, now the system is with his mother on the field on the the cattle herding. While the mother was looking in the midday heat in a cave sleeping, the child ventured too close while playing at the cliff and fell down the steep rock face. When the mother awoke, her child is no longer found and rushed to the valley, she met her son there in undamaged. He reported that he had been picked up by a woman. The child's father was sure that there could be in that mysterious woman who described to him his son, only to the apparition of the Virgin Mary. In gratitude for the salvation he ordered to build a chapel in her honor over the cave in which the mother had slept; this place moved since then many pilgrims.
The legend is first attested in 1442, but presumably about 100 years older. The first chapel was destroyed by fire in 1466, but was rebuilt in 1470. This second chapel was devastated and looted in 1530 during the Reformation. The Schwabe Jacob Augsburger presented the sanctuary restored. A second rock miracle of 1541 - the Junker Hans -Thuringian kingdom of rich stone ( Swiss noble, rich stone castle headquarters ( Arlesheim ) ) survived a crash - revitalized in the Reformation standstill in pilgrimage. The Reichensteiner considered then the pilgrimage chapel when her family shrine (called Reichensteiner chapel ).
After changing coaches took over in 1636 the Benedictine Fathers Beinwil the pilgrimage pastoral care. This monastery Beinwil, which was founded in 1100 for his part, however, have been held since the late Middle Ages in decline, had been re-occupied by the Solothurn administrators until 1633. The new Abbot Fintan Pine (1633-1675) moved the monastery in 1648 from its original site on Passwang to the Sanctuary of Maria Stein, constructed with this monastery and church, and united to the extent the previously independent storylines of the Benedictine monastery and the chapel in the rock.
The new monastery was secularized then twice, in 1792 in the wake of the French Revolution and 1874, due to the culture war in Switzerland. The Benedictine moved to the secularization of 1874 after first dent in France, then for a short time after Duerrenberg bei Hallein and finally to Bregenz. After the monastery in Bregenz had been closed by the Gestapo, the monks turned back to Maria Stein, where they received asylum in 1941. In 1971 the abbey was officially re-established.
Picture of grace and mercy chapels
The miraculous image of Our Mother of Consolation is located in a cave chapel below the present Benedictine Monastery Church, to which you descend 59 steps. Numerous votive announce on the way to the cave that the Madonna for some still works wonders.
Maria is literally in the magnificent robes " in stone " - ie free in the rock face - and carries the child on the right arm. Six putti holding candlesticks, surrounded the miraculous image, which dates in its present form from the 17th century. About the appearance of the ruined Gothic precursor is not known.
There is a sacrament of the altar of 1645 from the studio of sculptor Henry Solothurn Scharpf left of the picture of grace. It shows Mary with Child and Saints in a baroque marble construction with turned columns.
In commemoration of the second rock wonders of Reichensteiner Junkers there is in the northeast corner of the monastery again today a Reichensteiner chapel, also called the Seven Sorrows Chapel. It contains a late Gothic tabernacle (1520 ) and a statue of Mary from linden wood (estimated second half of the 17th century ) in an alabaster altar of 1824.
The monastery church
Fintan Kieffer, abbot from 1633 to 1675, left the church from 1648 to 1655 by Urs Andermatt from Solothurn build. The building has since been rebuilt several times; in the years 1830-1834 he received through the Vorarlberg Jacob the compani him today characterizes classical facade of Jurassic limestone with sandstone ornaments. 1999/2000 the facade was restored and old overpainting removed.
The interior architecture of the three-aisled basilica had initially a late Gothic style on what is seen on the network vaults in the choir yet, but learned 1900-1934 two neo-baroque changes. The ceiling frescoes show the case of miracles and scenes depicting Mary, the murals depicting scenes from the life of Saint Benedict. Between 1931 and 1933 painted Lothar Albert from Basel paintings on the ceiling and the cycle of paintings in the nave.
The High Baroque décor to include the wooden pulpit with figures of the Apostles ( 1733), the wrought iron choir screen ( 1695) and that of Louis XIV bestowed, dedicated to St. Benedict high altar ( 1680), a richly ornamented building with turned columns, marble statues of saints and, depending on season interchangeable altarpieces.
Pope Pius XI. brought on 5 July 1926 Minor Basilica church. On August 15, 1926 by Luigi Maglione, Apostolic Nuncio in Switzerland, crowned the miraculous image on behalf of the Pope.
Among the abbots Mauritius Prince and Luke Schenker the Church 1973-2000 has been completely restored. The monastery complex is a listed building.
Church treasure
From the treasury of the church is gone much lost. Valuable and oldest piece is the so -called Essostab, which dates back to the previous monastery Beinwil is there but probably not arisen because it is stylistically attributed to the Staufer period under Frederick II in southern Italy / Sicily. It is an ivory - crook with a doe and a bird and silver version, the later (16th century) has emerged.
A chalice ( Wilhelm Krauer, 17th century) with enamel overlay and precious stones is an outstanding example of Baroque religious art in Maria Stein.
The monastery
The quadratic system had to be architecturally adapted to the natural limits set by the rock. This gives the monastery, seen from the valley, the character of a fortress.
The Convention floor, located in the East ( rock side ), the church in the north with a growing ( Glutzbau ) integrated with the Reichensteiner chapel, in the south of the cloister in the library building, and to the west extends to replace a former cloister an openwork tract ( monastery gate ).
Access to the complex from the west follows the historic pilgrims. The forecourt of the church was remodeled in 1997, and the plant is now a famous tourist destination. The ensemble includes a hotel, a Hofgut in timber ( until the mid 19th century Reichensteinischer owned) with outlet for fruit and vegetables from organic farming and a Devotionalienladen.
Abbots
- Fintan Kieffer, 1633-1675
- Augustin Reutti / Rütti, 1675-1695
- Esso Glutz, 1695-1710
- Maurus Baron, 1710-1719
- Augustin Glutz, 1719-1745
- Jerome Altermatt, 1745-1765
- Jerome Brunner, 1765-1804
- Placidus Ackermann, 1804-1841
- Karl Schmid, 1851-1867
- Leo Stöcklin, 1867-1873
- Karl Motschi, 1873-1900
- Vincent Motschi, 1900-1905 ( stepbrother the former things )
- Augustin Rothenflue, 1905-1919
- Augustin Borer, 1919-1937
- Basil Niederberger, 1937-1971
- Prince Mauritius, 1971-1995
- Luke Schenker, 1995-2008
- Peter von Sury, since 2008