Abbey of Saint Gall, Benedictine abbey and UNESCO World Heritage site in St. Gallen, Switzerland
Abbey of Saint Gall is a Benedictine monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site in Switzerland, comprising a large religious complex with a Catholic cathedral and a renowned library. The library holds approximately 160,000 volumes in light-colored rooms featuring delicate Rococo decorations and contains significant medieval manuscripts.
An Irish monk named Gall founded a hermitage around 720 at this location, which was later transformed into a monastery by Charles Martel under the leadership of Saint Othmar. Over the centuries, the monastery grew into an important center of knowledge and culture across Europe.
The library has served for centuries as a destination where scholars from across Europe came to study ancient manuscripts and rare texts. Visitors today can observe how these precious works are housed within the light-colored rooms adorned with delicate decorative details.
Most visitors purchase a combination ticket that grants access to the library, vaulted cellar, and exhibition space, while cathedral entry is free. It helps to allow time for walking through the different areas and exploring the rooms at a relaxed pace.
The abbey preserves the oldest known architectural plan drawn on parchment, depicting an ideal monastery layout from the 9th century. This document is an extraordinarily rare source showing how people of that era envisioned designing their religious communities.
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