St. Gallen Cathedral

The collegiate church of St. Gallen (actually Collegiate Church of St. Gallus and Otmar ) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It serves the diocese of St. Gallen as a cathedral and was the church of the monastery of St. Gallen since its construction 1755-1766 bis 1805. The Collegiate Church was recorded together with its abbey in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the list of world cultural heritage worthy of protection.

History

The initiative to rebuild the abbey church dates back to the 18th century, when the old church of the monastery of St. Gall, who came from the 9th century, in essence, became dilapidated. Based on the plans of Gabriel and Johann Caspar Bagnato Loser by Peter Thumb 1755-1757 the nave and the rotunda. The demolition of the old building began on May 2, 1755 the cornerstone was laid for the new building was held on August 29, 1756 under Abbot Celestine Gugger of storage in the roof already partially completed shell instead.

The interior and exterior decoration was executed by Johann Christian Wentzinger for 52,000 guilders as a complete work, which he did not personally performed the most work, but they only designed, planned and designed. Work on the nave was completed in the summer of 1760 substantially; on 15 November 1760 consecration took place.

The new building of the chancel of the church was only adopted in 1760. Until then, the old Gothic choir served as a temporary church. The construction management went for it by Peter Thumb over to Johann Michael Beer of Bildstein. Other outbuildings and the towers as well as the interior were carried out in the following years. The towers were completed in 1766 as the last parts of the building, inside lasted for smaller jobs until 1772.

The bold dome construction in the nave had been structurally poorly executed, so that already in 1773 first renovation work was necessary. The problems of statics could be solved with the subsequent installation of a scaffold.

After the dissolution of the monastery of St. Gall in 1805 minor changes inside the church were made. The throne of the abbot was about displaced and turned into the high altar to the church altar. Structural damage made ​​further renovations necessary in the course of which Antonio Moretto to 1824 newly executed several ceiling paintings. More extensive renovations were carried out from 1841 to 1845 ( east facade ), 1866/1867 ( comprehensive interior renovation ) and 1928-1938 ( complete exterior renovation ). The last major renovation was carried out from 2000 to 2003.

Since 1824 the diocese of St. Gallen, the Collegiate Church Cathedral.

Construction and Equipment

The Collegiate Church is one of the last monumental religious buildings of the late Baroque. Blending in the rotunda divided west and east in a symmetrical system nave and chancel. The picturesque and plastic equipment between rococo and classicism is the work of South German master. The stucco-work by the brothers Johann and Mathias Gigl, the stucco reliefs of Johann Christian Wentzinger. The paintings are the work of Joseph When pacemaker.

The paintings in the rotunda show the arrival of God in the presence of the blessed, while, are shown in the ship's domes Gallus, Otmar, Magnus and Wiborada, the great figures of the history of the monastery. The double - choir stalls with reliefs from the life of St. Benedict goes back to Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer.

The twin towers of the east facade are aligned with the Palatinate building. They are 68 m high. The pediment shows the Assumption, beneath the statue of Saint Desiderius and Mauritius are seen.

The Ostkrypta goes back in the core to the 9th century. This is according to tradition, the grave of the Holy Gallus. A piece of his skull is still shown here in a reliquary. In the West crypt contains the tomb of the Holy Otmar and the bishops of St. Gallen.

The church is separated in the middle of a turquoise -and-gold lattice. It was originally the division between the space of the monks and the space of the church-goers. Today, the Mass is celebrated at the altar just before the grid, approximately in the middle of the church.

The facade is kept very simple to the east side with the towers. Only the four statues that mark the entrance on the north side, stand out.

Organs

The Collegiate Church has three organs: the great cathedral organ at the west gallery, and the Epistles and the Gospels organ in the choir.

The history of the organ dates back to the Middle Ages. In the time since the Baroque reconstruction of the church was content for a long time with the two choir organs, which in 1768 and 1770 by Ferdinand Victor Bossard ( 1699-1772 ) had been built. It was not until 1808-1810 the church was a large west gallery for a new, large main organ, which was built in 1811-1815 by Franz Josef and frog ( Munich). This instrument had 60 registers, four manuals and pedal. The organ case was in 1811 by the plasterer and sculptor Josef Simon Mosbrugger ( Tschoppernau, Bregenzerwald ) built. The " Frog" organ was completely rebuilt between 1872 and 1875 by Johann Nepomuk Kuhn, with a manual was omitted. It had 55 registers, of which 14 were wholly or partly manufactured new. The case remained unchanged.

Main organ

As part of the overall restoration of the church (1961 to 1967), the present main organ was designed and built by Kuhn Organ Builders ( Männedorf ) 1968. From the old organ from 1815, only the two lateral pedal towers were taken. In addition, the building was completely redesigned. The instrument has grinding shop and mechanical tracker action.

• Pairing: IV / I, I / II, III / I, III / II; I / P, II / P III / P
• Balanciers

Choir organs

The two choir organs were in 1768 and 1770 by Ferdinand Victor Bossard ( 1699-1772 ) built. They are mirror images of each other and are located in the choir, each laterally above the choir stalls. The game tables are installed in the choir stalls left and right. The organs were restored 1966-1967 by organ building Mathis.

• Couplers: II / I, I / P.
• Accessories: lock valve for pedal
• Mood: Neidhardt III 1724

Ringing

The Collegiate Church has an impressive baroque bells. The nine bells in the towers come from different founders, who were active in the Bodensee area mostly. The two large bells in the right tower of the eastern façade are important examples of the Zug Glockengiesser Keiser. Because of these bells the bells is the tontiefste Switzerland. The Trinity bell even surpasses the Berner Munster bell tones'.

In the two tower lanterns two more bells are housed.

Music seen Theoretically, the total ringing no recognizable harmonic or melodic structure.

Views

• The four statues near the northern portal
• Gallus
• Otmar
• Peter
• Paul