Stams abbey, Cistercian monastery in Stams, Austria
Stams Abbey is a Cistercian monastery featuring distinctive Baroque architecture set in the Tyrolean landscape. The complex displays an organized layout with a church, cloister, residential buildings, and art collections, all integrated into a coherent composition.
The monastery was founded in 1273 when the Prince of Görz-Tyrol brought monks from Kaisheim in Swabia to establish the community. Over the centuries, the abbey underwent transformations, especially during the Baroque period when its current appearance took shape.
The Bernhardisaal ceremonial hall displays ceiling paintings that portray moments from the life of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, filling the space with religious imagery. Visitors can observe these artworks directly as they walk through, encountering the artistic expression of the Baroque period firsthand.
Visitors can join guided tours through the church, royal crypt, and museum sections. The visits are offered with detailed explanations of the architecture and art collections, helping guests understand the spaces and their significance more fully.
A small chapel within the complex houses a Baroque cupola structure built between 1715 and 1717 with elaborate ornamentation. This chapel displays an unusual construction style with numerous decorative details that differs from the more restrained architecture of the rest of the monastery.
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