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February 20, 395 in Bethlehem was opened the first ever convent. Unfortunately, it has not survived to our time, but other equally ancient monasteries have come down to us, which we will talk about today.

Since the monks do not like worldly fuss (from which they go to mountains, deserts or behind high impregnable walls), outsiders are not allowed into many monasteries under any circumstances. Therefore, we will talk about those ancient monasteries of the world that are open to pilgrims and ordinary tourists.

Many pages of the Bible are devoted to the Sinai Peninsula, because there, on the top of the mountain of the same name, Moses was given the Ten Commandments, inscribed on the Tablets of the Covenant. It is no wonder that this part of Egypt has been a place for pilgrimage and a site for archaeological excavations for centuries. Where, according to legend, the Lord God appeared to the prophet and the Burning Bush grew, in 557 one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world appeared, named after its founder, St. Catherine. 12 chapels, a library, an icon hall, a refectory, sacristies and even a hotel are hidden by a monumental monastery, fortified during the time of Emperor Justinian. Over the centuries of existence, it has been overgrown with new buildings, without stopping holding services and receiving believers. The temple has turned into a real city in the desert. The archbishop of Sinai, the smallest diocese in the world, presides there. Of the shrines, in addition to the Burning Bush and the chapel of her name, which keeps the ancient mosaic of the Transfiguration, the guests of the monastery are waiting for the well, near which Moses met his future companion - one of the daughters of Joseph. The holy temple was never destroyed: even the Prophet Muhammad and the Arab caliphs, the sultans of Turkey and Napoleon Bonaparte helped him. Only in the fall of 2013, due to political unrest in Egypt, the monastery of St. Catherine was temporarily closed. For information on when you can get here, see http://www.sinaimonastery.com/.

For the fifteenth century, there has been a "House of the Lord" in mysterious Tibet - the great Jokhang Monastery, where the initiations of the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama take place. Legend has it that it was in this place that Tibetan Buddhism was born. The first value brought to the temple was an ancient statue consecrated personally by Shakyamuni Buddha. Lhasa grew around the Jokhang, and with it the temple itself grew: an imposing four-story building, decorated with a dharma wheel and golden fallow deer, was rebuilt in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. A heavy share fell to the Buddhist shrine: much was destroyed during the Mongol invasion, and during the years of the Chinese cultural revolution The Jokhang was used as a pig shed and a military base. Fortunately, in 1980 the monastery was restored and was soon included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Many treasures are hidden behind its walls: a golden urn donated by the Chinese emperor Qianlong, a luxurious edition of the Tripitaka made of sandalwood, ancient thangkas dating back to the 7th-9th centuries, and gilded statues of the founders of Tibetan Buddhism - King Srontsangambo and his wives. The monastery is open to adherents of all religions: religious ceremonies of all schools of Buddhism and even the indigenous religion of Tibet, the Bonpo, are held here. You can learn more about the history of the Jokhang on the UNESCO Attraction page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707.

Little information has been preserved by the history of the Holy Savior Convent, located near the village of Kostomarovo in Voronezh region. One of the legends attributes its construction to Andrew the First-Called himself, the other refers to the 12th century. True or not, but there is no doubt about the venerable age of the unique Russian monastery, carved right into the rock. Much here reminds of Byzantium: 12 chalk pillars hold the rounded vaults of the temple, which can accommodate up to two thousand believers, and its walls are decorated with beautiful Orthodox frescoes. A long and low corridor leads to the Cave of Repentance - to get here, you need to bow in bow. Only a miracle saved the Holy Savior Monastery during the reign of the Soviets: the last monk, Father Peter, was shot, and the temple was flooded so as not to distract people from building communism. But the Russian Golgotha ​​survived: in 1993, the first service after oblivion was held here. The temple was restored and turned into a nunnery, and only the miraculous Kostomarovskaya icon of the Mother of God, riddled with bullets, reminds of the terrible times. Those who have visited the Holy Savior Monastery say that this is a real place of power, where natural harmony and divine purity are combined. Those who have not yet reached Russian Palestine will have to travel by train from Voronezh to Rossosh (exit at the Podgornoye station), and then by bus to the village of Kostomarovo.

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Authors: Egorova Ksenia, Zgerya Inessa Head: Zagrebina Svetlana Nikolaevna research work History Topic: Medieval Monastery 

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Introduction Main part 1.1. The first monasteries in Europe 1.2. Monastery of St. Gallen 1.3. Work on the layout of a medieval monastery Conclusion Contents 

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The purpose of the project: To create a model of a medieval monastery. Project objectives: 1. To study the time of the appearance of the first monasteries in Europe 2. To consider the features of medieval monasteries 3. To make a model of the monastery of St. Gallen Stages of work on the project: 1) Study of literature on the topic 2) Selection of illustrative material 3) Search for information about surviving medieval monasteries 4)Creating a layout plan for the monastery 5)Working on creating a layout 6)Working on creating a presentation 7)Preparing for project defense Introduction

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Bethlehem is a holy city for Christians, the second most important after Jerusalem, because here, according to the Gospel (Luke 2:4-7, Matt. 2:1-11), Jesus Christ was born. From the first centuries of Christianity to the present day, millions of pilgrims have been sent to this holy land. At the end of the fourth century, a follower of the blessed Jerome of Stridon arrived here - a rich and noble Roman matron Paul. Gathering a fairly large community of women around her, she opened on that day in the 395th year in Bethlehem the first convent. Pavla became its abbess, and subsequently organized two more convents. Bethlehem (nunnery)

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Montecassino The Benedictine monastery of Montecassino rises on a high hill above the motorway 120 km from Rome. This is one of the oldest monasteries in Europe, but fate was merciless to him, what we see now refers to the XX century. You should not go here to feel the spirit of antiquity or the special atmosphere of the old monasteries, this is not left in Montecassino, but from a historical point of view, the monastery is of interest. Montecassino was founded in 529 by St. Benedict of Nursia, on the site where the pagan temple of Apollo was located. The abbey was the birthplace of the Benedictine order.

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Lerins Abbey Lerins Abbey. The monastery, located on the island of Saint Honorat, off the coast of Cannes, is the most striking attraction of this city. It is believed that this is one of the oldest Gallic buildings of this kind, because it was founded around 410. Now the complex belongs to the Cistercians. The monastery has a regular ferry service to the coast of Cannes, so getting to it is not difficult: you just need to visit the old port. Saint Honorat, the founder of Lerins Abbey, wanted to build a temple that would become the residence of the brethren. By the 8th century, the complex already had a huge influence in Europe, and at that time more than 500 monks lived here, who were distinguished by asceticism. Many of them later became bishops or founded new monasteries. A fort was built next to the abbey in the 11th century, in which there was a refectory, a chapel and a library. Chapels are located around the monastery, six of which have survived to this day, and only ruins remained of one. The main building was erected over 1000 years ago, but after the monastery was closed in the 18th century, it was destroyed, and the relics of the founder were transferred to Grasse Cathedral. The monastic one was revived here only a century and a half ago, thanks to the efforts of the Cistercian order, who restored many buildings, though not in the original style, but in Romanesque, so appearance the monastery has changed completely.

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The monastery of St. Gall - a monastery located in the center of the city of St. Gallen, was once one of the largest Benedictine monasteries in Europe. The monastery of St. Gallus was founded in 613 by the hermit monk Gallus. The monastery gradually turned into an early territorial principality. An important element territorial reorganization carried out by the monastery, was the unification of the rules. In 1468, all existing customs and orders were collected and recorded on paper. From now on, all loyal subjects of the land were to obey the established order. Unlike other members of the Swiss Union, the monastery continued to be directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. In 1525, the Reformation came to the monastery, and two years later the monastery of St. Gallen was dissolved, but by 1532 it was reopened. Thirty years later, all subjects of the lands of the monastery converted back to the Catholic faith, and by the end of the 16th century the monastery again turned into a modern centralized territorial principality. St. Gallen (St. Gall)

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The last heyday of the monastery survived in the 18th century - this is primarily evidenced by the extensive construction work in the period from 1755 to 1767. The monastery was rebuilt in the Baroque style under the direction of the architects Pieter Tumba and Johann Beer. After the French Revolution of 1789, the ascribed monastic lands demanded that they be granted freedoms and rights, and with the detachment of Toggenburg, the political dominance of the monastery came to an end. In 1803, the new canton of St. Gallen was formed, and two years later the monastery was finally dissolved. The former monastery church of St. Gall is today the cathedral church of the Bishopric of Gallus. The church is included in the lists of cultural heritage of UNESCO. The baroque building was erected in the 18th century (1755) on the site of an older religious building of the 9th century. It is considered one of the last monumental religious buildings of the late Baroque era. The cathedral is divided by a rotunda into the western (nave) and eastern (choir) parts.

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The church owes its artistic and sculptural decoration in the Rococo and Classicist styles to South German craftsmen. The frescoes were done by the brothers Johann and Matthias Giegl, the bas-reliefs by Christian Wenzinger and the paintings by Josef Wannenmacher. Two rows of wooden benches in the choir are decorated with carvings depicting scenes from the life of St. Benedict. The towers of the eastern facade are 68 meters high. The relief on the pediment depicts the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, under it there are statues of Saints Desiderius and Mauritius.

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The monastic library is located in the western wing of the monastery. The library building was created under the guidance of the architect Peter Tumba in 1758-1767. Currently, the library has about 150,000 volumes, including about 2,000 manuscripts (four hundred of them are over a thousand years old). For example, the library holds a Latin-German dictionary from 790, the most Old book in German. Also in the western wing is a lapidarium, which displays fragments of the Carolingian cathedral of 830 - 837, found during archaeological excavations, as well as a collection of paintings on wooden panels. Today, the bishop's residence is located in the western part of the court wing.

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From a historical and cultural point of view, the personal chapel of the bishop, the main hall, and the chapel of St. Gall are of the greatest value here. The cantonal court sits today in the north wing. The wing was erected in the 19th century and was used for various purposes - from an arsenal to a fire station. In the eastern part of the former monastery there is the Karlstor gate, built in 1570. They are named after Archbishop Charles Borromeo and are the only outer gates of the city that have survived to this day. The main building on the eastern side of the monastery square is called the New Palace (Neue Pfalz). After the dissolution of the monastery, this former residence of the abbot of the monastery became the seat of the Sejm of the newly formed canton of St. Gallen.

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1 - main church; 2 - library and scriptorium; 3 - sacristy; 4 - towers; 5 - patio; b - hall of the chapter (a place of assembly of monks); 7 - a common bedroom of monks and a bath; 8 - refectory; 9 - kitchen; 10 - pantry with a cellar; 11 - room for pilgrims; 12 - outbuildings; 13 - house for guests; 14 - school; 15 - abbot's house; 16 - doctor's house; 17 - a place for growing medicinal herbs; 18 - hospital and premises for novices with a separate church; 19 - a garden with a cemetery and a vegetable garden; 20 - goose house and chicken coop; 21 barns; 22 - workshops; 23 - bakery and brewery; 24 - mill, threshing machine, dryer; 25 - barns and stables; 26 - house for servants.

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The oldest monasteries today are the most visited among tourists. At the beginning of the formation of Christianity in Europe, monasteries were built that combined religion, culture, education, administration, and some of the judicial sphere.

For the majority of children living in poor families, teaching, upbringing and living in a church school made it possible to increase their social status.

In the north-west of Styria in the valley of the Enns River, (Austria) is the oldest Benedictine monastery - Admont Abbey. The date of construction is considered to be 1074, and the Salzburg Archbishop Gebhard is documented as its founder. The shrine gained particular popularity in XII-XIII centuries when it organized a school for girls directly from noble families.

A workshop was created at the monastery, where they were engaged in the monastic scriptorium. In it, the monk worked productively on the correspondence of ancient manuscripts. It was during this period that the laying of the foundations of the future gloriously famous library took place.

During the Turkish invasions, as well as the Reformation, the monastery fell into decay, and from the beginning of the 17th to the 18th century, it regained its former glory and influence even outside of Austria. Today, Admont Abbey is famous for its unique library, which is also considered the largest in the world.

The thematic collection of books is quite extensive, ranging from theological to scientific and historical literature. In 1865, a tragedy almost occurred and all the books were not lost in a strong fire, but the clergy-monks managed to save the treasure of the monastery by some diva.

It should be noted that the book depository itself is a masterpiece of art. The entire monastery is an architectural structure that impresses with its charm and luxury, executed in the Baroque style. Admont Monastery can be visited from March 24 to December 31. For tourists, the door is open from 10:00 to 17:00 on any day of the week.

Abbey in Saint Maurice

The Catholic monastery is located in the small town of Saint Maurice, which is located in the Swiss Alps. The date of foundation of the Abbey is considered to be 515, but until that time a basilica was founded here, where the relics of St. Mauritius were kept, delivered by the bishop of Valais in 370.

According to legend, St. Mauritius, along with his comrades, with whom he was in the Theban legion, were tortured to death, as they refused to make war against the same believers. The Abbey of Saint Maurice was founded by the Burgundian king Sigismund and since that time it has been a place of pilgrimage.

Centuries-old history The abbey includes various periods of existence with favorable and unfavorable events that have become prerequisites for the formation of today's Catholic monastery. For many centuries, the servants of the Abbey have accumulated not only cultural, aesthetic, but also historical values.

It should be noted that in 2015 there was a significant day for the Abbey, it turned 1500 years old. On this occasion, a large-scale celebration was organized with a liturgy and a street performance, embodying a combination of sacred and profane, as well as past and present.

Since 1995, everyone can come on an excursion to the Abbey and get to know its history of formation, explore the surroundings and admire the unforgettable landscapes of this area.

Lérins Abbey

The history of the Lerins Catholic Monastery dates back to 410. The founder is considered the hermit Honorat Arelatsky: looking for a place for solitude, he chose the island of Saint-Honoré, located near Cannes in France. But he did not succeed in seclusion, as his devoted disciples followed him, and in time a community was formed.

After the formation of the monastery over the next many centuries, illustrious saints were educated here, who later became bishops, and many of them founded new monasteries.

Already by the 8th century from the date of its foundation, the Lerins Abbey had a great influence among other oldest monasteries in Europe and in its own possessions it had quite extensive territorial allotments. The village of Cannes was included in the common territory.

Due to the fact that the abbey was very rich, it was often attacked by the Saracens.. One of the terrible attacks on the good of the abbey is the robbery of the holy place in 732, during which almost all the monks were killed along with the rector. The one who survived is the monk Elenter, after a while he erected newest monastery on the ruins of the destroyed.

But in 1047, Spain took possession of the territory of the Lerins Islands, and the monks were detained. After a short time, the monks were redeemed, and the abbey was equipped as a defensive fortress with observation towers.

Further, the monastery was declared the property of the state directly during the French Revolution. The relics of the proclaimed Saint Honoratus were redirected from the basilica to Cathedral Grasse, and the monks living in the abbey were expelled.

Immediately after the expulsion of the ministers, the noble actress Mademoiselle Sainval acquired the territory of the sanctuary; for 20 years she used the cells where the monks lived as a guest yard.

In 1859, the island territory where the shrine was located was purchased by the Bishop of Fréjus, and in ten years it was completely renewed. Today, the Lerins monastery is directly ranked as the property of the Cistercians.

It now houses 25 monks who, in addition to the main monastic life, successfully manage the hotel business, grow lavender, and own orange orchards and vineyards.

Monastery of Candida Kassa

In 397 St. Ninian built a small stone temple called Candida Kassa ("White House"), considered the first Christian building in Scotland. After its erection, the first Christian settlement was formed in the direction north of Hadrian's Wall.

The monastery began to grow rapidly and eventually occupied a visible place directly in the early Middle Ages, like other oldest monasteries in Europe.

For construction in more recent times, ceramics and glass were used as a result of the use of the latest technological processes and crafts that were borrowed from the Mediterranean and Western France.

The monastery was restored several times after the destruction:

1. In 1128, a new cathedral was erected and the monastery itself in the same place.
2. But in 1822, the temple restored its purpose and became a place of concentration of religious worship of pilgrims from all over the globe.
3. To this day, Candida Casa in Gallows, (Scotland) is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in Europe.

Monastery in Einsiedeln

There are several legends about the foundation of the monastery in Einsiedeln. But these legends have in common the fact that not far from the location of the present abbey, the hermit Maynrad settled in the forest, who had two faithful black ravens. One January day, two strangers asked the hermit for a lodging for the night.

Having sheltered Mainrad, he fed them dinner, but they decided to rob him, and not finding anything of value, they killed the hermit. When trying to escape, the killers were caught almost immediately thanks to black crows, which attracted local residents with their frantic cry.

Over time, hermit monks began to come to the place of Maynrad's death, and thus a monastic community was formed. The creation of the monastery itself dates back to 934. Since that time, the history of the formation of the Einsiedeln abbey begins. For a thousand years monastery became the main place of pilgrimage in Switzerland.

One of the first and main shrines of the abbey was the statue of the Black Madonna, allegedly consecrated by Jesus himself. But it burned to the ground in a fire that broke out in 1465. It was replaced by another one, which was presented by the abbess of Zurich, Hildegard, in 1466. Now the shrine is located in the temple building directly inside the “penitent chapel”.

The monastery has a huge library room, where are collected:

• 1230 ancient manuscripts;
• 740 incunabula;
• 700 paleotypes.

There is a monastic school attached to the abbey, and a Benedictine convent is also subject to it - Far Abbey near the city of Zurich, formed at the beginning of the 12th century.

Monastery of Mont Saint-Michel

The oldest monasteries in Europe include Mont Saint-Michel, which was preceded by the appearance of the Archangel Michael to Bishop Aubert, who lives in the city of Avranches. Referring to a manuscript dated to the 10th century, Archangel Michael ordered the Archangel Michael to erect a temple on the island of Mont-Tomb (the current location of Mont-Saint-Michel).

Initially, several hermit monks settled on the island territory, who built two small sanctuaries here. Archangel Michael appeared three times in Ober's dreams, since the bishop initially could not understand the will of the saint. Only on the third time, when the Archangel pierced the bishop's skull with his ring, Oreb began to build the temple.

The built chapel on the site of the current abbey had the likeness of the sanctuary of Monte Grotto, located in southern Italy. It was from this grotto that some relics were brought to the chapel. This is a crimson cover left by the Archangel, as well as a part of the marble slab directly with the imprint of his foot.

Over time, the influence of Mont Saint-Michel expanded throughout France, accordingly, the number of pilgrims wishing to visit the monastery increased. But the small territory of the temple did not allow to receive a large number of pilgrims, and on the basis of this, it was decided to build a large building.

The problem arose in the fact that it was not possible to build a temple on the rock, but a way out was found. Initially, it was decided to build four chapels, which became a kind of platform for the further construction of the building. After their erection, the construction of the temple began. It took almost 500 years (1023-1520)

The long fate of the abbey had a lot of adversity, for example, it was closed several times, punishment cells for prisoners were organized in it, and it also had to endure religious wars. The monastery of Mont Saint-Michel still remains a place of pilgrimage for parishioners from all over the world.

Monastery of Monte Cassino

The oldest monasteries in Europe include Monte Cassino, which is located on a small mountain hill that hangs over the town of Cassino, just 120 km from the capital of Italy - Rome. The monastery was founded by Benedict of Nursia in 529 on the site of the pagan temple of Apollo.

The built temple was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. But the monastery had not an easy fate. It was destroyed several times, but even despite this, it remained the largest center for the spread of culture directly in the Western world.

The era of prosperity came in the XIV century. During this period, the territorial area of ​​the monastery was huge, and a library with ancient and early Christian literature settled in the temple. In addition, the Kossinian monks were engaged in the study of astronomy, jurisprudence, medicine, philosophy, and also carried out translations of creatures that were originally composed in Latin and Greek.

It should be noted that in addition to visiting and getting acquainted with the monastery, tourists are given the opportunity to visit one of the beautiful sights nearby the shrine. This is Swan Lake, where black and white swan families live among the botanical garden created by the owner of the hotel-restaurant, where tourists can stay for the night.

Monastery St. Gallen

The oldest monasteries in Europe are located in the eastern part of Switzerland. This is the monastery of St. Gallen, founded according to legend by St. Gall directly in 613. It was this year that on the site of the future temple he built a small cell for solitude in order to devote himself to prayers to God.

Although, according to available documents that have survived to this day, it is noted that it is not Saint Gall who is considered the creator of the monastery, but Otmar, who was the rector of this sacred building.

The monastery of St. Gall had unprecedented fame not only on the territory of its town, but they knew about it far beyond the chapels. Numerous streams of pilgrims, among whom were very wealthy people, made donations, and on them the leadership of the monastery upset and improved the buildings of the temple.

Thanks to this, in a short time the monastery of St. Gallen became a religious center not only in its homeland, but also abroad.

For today cathedral church divided into two main parts. The first part is presented to the eyes of tourists in the form of buildings that were erected in the 9th century, and the other part, these buildings were built already in the 18th century.

The main attraction, which is of interest to tourists, is the unique library, famous throughout the world, located in the western wing. Among the huge collection of books, those that were drawn before the arrival of Jesus into our world attract special attention.

It should be noted that every tourist must without fail familiarize himself with the special rules that are noted in special guidebooks.

Rules:

You can visit the library directly only from 10 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is 7 Swiss francs.

Monastery of Saint Atanasia

15 km from the urban formation of Chirpan in the Starozagorsk region in the village of Zlata-Livada stands the convent of St. Atanasius. It is ranked among the oldest shrines in all of Europe, since it was created back in 344.

Its foundation was directly dealt with by St. Athanasius, who stayed during the Ecumenical Council commemorated in 343-344. A significant event was held in the temple of the Lord Hagia Sophia.

Near the monastery there is a famous spring with holy water, which was turned into a water sanctuary by Saint Athanasius. According to legend, water from a miracle spring is considered healing. Near the monastery of nuns in the mountain slopes there is a small cave formation, called the fasting predestined for seclusion and fasting. Postnitsa can be visited by tourists.

Throughout the existence of the monastery monastery of St. Anatasius, it was destroyed many times, but it was recreated anew. The temple acquired its modern appearance in the 80s of the XX century.

There are several relics in the sacred monastery, one of which is considered to be the image of Saint Athanasius, handed directly Alexandrian Patriarch Petros VII, as a gift on the day of his stay in Bulgaria, which was marked in 2003. Also in the temple of the Lord, a copy of the Church Slavonic old parchment manuscript of the Reims Gospel is kept.

Monastery of Saint Gall

The world-famous monastery of St. Gall is located in the ancient town of St. Gallen., created by one of the twelve disciples who are followers of the Irish monk and missionary Columban. St. Gallen Abbey directly in the Middle Ages was the largest cultural and scientific center in Europe.

The place where the temple was founded is considered to be a small cell built by Gallus in 612 near Lake Constance, where he retired from everything worldly and devoted himself to prayers to God. The beginning of the construction of the temple dates back to 1719. After the construction was completed, the first abbot was appointed preacher Otmar, who, being at his post, restored the existing cells, which arrived in a dilapidated state.

Otmar also founded a famous library and no less famous art workshop.. Thanks to Othmar and his efforts, the monastery became one of the largest Benedictine abbeys.

Monastery of St. John of Rila

One of the significant and noble sights of Bulgaria is the monastery of St. John of Rilski. It is located quite high on the mountain slopes, 1147 m above sea level and is located 117 km from Sofia. Around the monastery itself there is a natural park surrounded by 36 peaks, and it also has crystal clear Rila Lakes.

The temple building was founded by the monk-hermit John of Rilski in the 10th century, so the sacred monastery was named after him. Like all the oldest monasteries in Europe in the Middle Ages, this monastery also has a difficult fate.

It was robbed several times, destroyed almost to the ground, but it was always restored even after an intense earthquake that occurred in 1343.

To date, from the old monastery for the gaze of tourists and pilgrims, only the Hrelova Tower, rising 24 m, has remained, in which the chapel of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built earlier. All other buildings of the temple were rebuilt, so it differs significantly from its original appearance.

Since 1991, the monastery of John of Rilski again acquired the status of monasticism and today it is an active male monastery that attracts not only pilgrims, but tourists from all over the world. The relics of St. John are buried in the monastery, near which you can receive healing, but you can visit this miraculous place only by certain days.

Also, tourists are interested in the library in the temple, where old manuscripts dated from the 11th-19th centuries and a historical museum with exhibits that are hundreds of years old are preserved.

Monastery of Saint Mauritius

In the city of Saint Maurice in 515, the temple building of St. Mauritius was formed on the site of the martyrdom of the head of the legion of Mauritius with his 6 thousand soldiers, who prevented the murder of fellow believers (Christians).

The order was given by Emperor Maximian in an era when mass persecutions of people who converted to Christianity were arranged. For disobedience to the order of Mauritius, the soldiers were executed. Some time later, during the reign of King Sigismund of Burgundy, a temple was erected in the name of St. Mauritius on the site of the martyrdom.

The monastery of St. Mauritius is practically the only sacred monastery in which, for one and a half thousand years, the ordinary life of prayers has not been interrupted.

In 1998 on the doors of the so-called ancient portal the names of martyrs from various states were inscribed in a new way, engraved in their native languages. Another significant relic of the sanctuary is a cross carved on a rock, 12 m high, which was installed in honor of Suvorov, testifying to historical event, namely the transition of the commander through the Alps.

In addition, the monastery presents rare exhibits that were donated by noble parishioners who wish to signify the reverence for the relics of the great martyrs in this way.

Monastery of Saint Martin

St. Martin's Church is one of the remarkable holy cloisters in Cologne, preserved from the 10th-11th centuries. The monastery was built on the site of ancient Roman baths and then food warehouses.

The modern Cologne monastery is presented in the Byzantine style with numerous vaults and stained glass windows. It was completely restored after the Second World War, and only a fragment of an ancient Roman column remained from the ancient building.

There is a legend that this piece can determine the evil and good thoughts of people. If a person has evil intentions, then this fragment of the column will not let him into the church, but they also say that he can even kill a person if he has conceived something dashing.

As for the interior decoration, after the restoration in 1960, it is devoid of any majestic decorations, but the exterior looks amazing, especially when the lights are turned on in the evening and at night.

It should be noted that from the beginning of 1985 and immediately until 2008, the building of St. Martin was used as a Catholic parish church, where prayers were held in Portuguese, Filipino and Spanish. But since the second month of spring 2009, the temple building Big St. Martin, as the locals call it, has again acquired the status of a Benedictine monastery.

Summing up, it must certainly be said that all the oldest monasteries founded in Europe, presented in the article, are the cultural heritage of their country, and some of them are protected by the United Nations concerning education, science and culture of UNESCO.

Article formatting: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: Catholic monasteries and the life of monks in the Middle Ages

Monasteries of Europe and the life of the monks of the Middle Ages:

The medieval monasteries of Europe are one of the most visited places by tourists. They used to be real centers public life, because they combined culture, religion, administration, education and even the judiciary. The desperate and the homeless could find shelter here, and for many children from poor families, upbringing and life in the monastery meant an increase in social status.

Despite the fact that in modern world most of the original functions of these spiritual places have been lost, they do not cease to arouse keen interest.

Firstly, they are progressive architectural examples of the Middle Ages, and secondly, they are examples of closed complexes that served themselves through the work performed by monks, kept animals and cultivated crops. In fact, these were examples of "states within a state" with a special life and history. Often the monasteries of Europe became the pulsars of historical events, where tragic or great events took place. Many of them are shrouded in mystery and even mystical stories still exciting and amazing people's imagination.

In the heart of Europe is located not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most valuable in the historical sense, the monastery of St. Gall. It is located in the eastern part of Switzerland in the small administrative center of St. Gallen. The town is one of the highest mountains in Switzerland, but this is not what makes it popular and famous, but the fact that it was in it that the center of European education, St. Gallen Abbey, was built in the Middle Ages.

The oldest monastery was founded in 613 by a lonely hermit named Gallus. The first who decided to pay great attention to the cultural development within these walls was the rector Otmar, who invited masters from different parts of Europe to organize a local art school. A mixture of different trends and genres made it possible to create unique paintings and icons, which are the pearls of medieval artistic culture.

The successor of this tradition was the abbot Waldo, who in the 8th century collected one of the richest libraries in Europe within the walls of the abbey. In addition, there was a strong singing school, within the walls of which virtuoso songs were performed in the Gregorian style. In the 10th century, famous poets and musicians of our time worked here, and a little later, the ancestor and founder of German literary literature Notker Gubasty worked here.

Until the 18th century, St. Gallen was as influential a monastery in Europe as a cathedral Notre Dame of Paris in the Middle Ages, but later the significance of the monastery weakened. In the second half of the 18th century, the oldest buildings were demolished, and new temples were erected in their place, embodying architectural style Baroque, still capable of surprising tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

In 1983, UNESCO added the Abode of St. Gall to the World Heritage List. Within the walls of the main attraction of the city, the oldest library is stored, numbering 160 thousand ancient books, 50 thousand of which are available for everyone to familiarize themselves with.

Everyone who was lucky enough to visit the Austrian city of Admont, located on the Enns River, will never be able to forget a beautiful picture: the oldest monastery buildings of the Middle Ages, reflected in the water surface of the river.

The picturesque Admont owes its appearance to the Archbishop of Salzburg, who initiated its construction in 1704. Active educational work was carried out here, the monks were especially progressive in natural sciences and in the description of historical facts. A modern school for girls was built next to the monastery grounds, where the best of the monks taught.

The peak of prosperity came in the Middle Ages, during the ministry of Abbot Engelbert. He was a scientist ahead of his time, from whose pen came many significant scientific works. It was at this time that the library began to function in the monastery, which to this day is the largest monastic library not only in Europe, but throughout the world. The collection of books is so magnificent that queues of visitors line up here daily. More than 70 thousand people visit the library every year. Here you can see 70 thousand handwritten texts and engravings, and among 200 thousand books there is a huge number of the oldest copies created before the 13th century.

The hall where the library is located is a huge bright room in which neo-Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque elements are intricately mixed. In addition, there are museums of natural history and art history on the territory, and music festivals often take place in the exhibition hall. A special department exhibits paintings for the blind. One can only imagine how unique the exhibitions would have been if the monastery buildings had not been damaged by fire in 1865.

Some of the treasures of the oldest collection were sold during the crisis of the 30s of the XX century, which became very difficult for the life of the monks. There were years when the activity of the monastery was stopped by the National Socialist government, but since 1946 spiritual activity resumed, and since then it has not been suspended.

Monte Cassino

Monastery created by Benedict of Nursia on the site former temple Apollo, is considered a landmark not only for Italy, but also for the history of the whole medieval Europe. Its fate is full of bitter pages, as it has been repeatedly destroyed. For this reason, only a small part of the oldest grandeur and beauty observed by the monks and pilgrims of the Middle Ages has been preserved here. Nevertheless, the flow of guests to this monastery, located at a distance of 120 km from Rome, does not stop in any season.

After the construction of Montecassino in 529, the Benedictine order arose on its territory. But after 33 years, the buildings were destroyed by the Longobards. It took a century and a half to restore, but after another 170 years it was ravaged by the Saracens. Montecassino was rebuilt by Pope Agapit II, who understood its importance in the life of all of Italy. Military attacks also occurred during Napoleon's offensive in 1799.

The next and greatest destruction occurred already during the Second World War in February 1944. Then there was a suspicion that high-ranking fascist military leaders were on the territory of the monastery, so the territory was bombed. Only a few elements could survive from the buildings, but the main values ​​​​of the collections, fortunately, managed to be evacuated before the start of the bombardment, so they remained unharmed. During air attacks within the walls of Monte Cassino, hundreds of civilians who took refuge in these walls during wartime died.

By personal order of the Pope, the Benedictine patrimony was restored in the seventies, after which thousands of pilgrims flocked here to see the castle of the Middle Ages. Guests can admire the courtyard, temples, vineyards and listen to stories from medieval life.

In Catholic culture, Saint Maurice is often referred to as the place where heaven opens to people. This is the oldest abbey Western Europe, located in Italy, survived the Middle Ages and survived to this day. Over the past 15 centuries, spiritual life has not stopped here for a single day, and Divine services have been held at regular intervals.

Saint Maurice was founded in 515 on the site of the grave of St. Maurice, after whom the abbey got its name. The protection of the chosen saint was so strong that the monastic life did not stop for a minute, there were no disbandments and significant destruction. From mouth to mouth by many generations of monks since the Middle Ages, a legend has been transmitted that during the next Divine service within the walls of one of the temples, Saint Martin appeared to those praying here, who also patronizes this place, like Mauritius.

A local feature was that the servants of the monastery were always jokers and people of subtle irony. You can be convinced of this even now, having arrived in Saint-Maurice. In many ways, it was this that contributed to the fact that the monastery survived for many centuries, without becoming a victim of wars, changes in political forces and other ups and downs. The monks believe that the reason for this is a good location: Saint Maurice "snuggles" against the rock, like a child clinging to its mother. The greatest danger, however, during the entire existence of the oldest monastery in Western Europe came from this rock, from which fragments broke off seven times, destroying the church located under it. The last time this happened in the middle of the 20th century, when a huge stone fell on the bell tower, leaving only ruins from it.

Many times Saint Maurice was plundered by forest robbers and devastated by devastating fires. It happened that the monastery was flooded by mountain streams, but the monks steadfastly accepted all the troubles, without stopping their service. In 2015, the Great 1500th Anniversary, organized with the participation of UNESCO, was celebrated here.

The real pearl of Christianity is located on an island off the coast of Normandy in northwestern France. A castle of amazing beauty with high towers reaching into the sky and reflected in sea ​​water, is an unforgettable picture, which annually seeks to see more than 4 million tourists from all over the world.

Mont-Saint-Michel is translated from French as "Mountain of St. Michael the Archangel". The unique location contributes to the fact that it is possible to get to it by land route only at times of significant low tides, and the tides cut it off from the mainland, leaving the thinnest isthmus, which not everyone dares to step on. This forces tourists to be extremely cautious: even Victor Hugo wrote that the speed of the tide of water is equal to the speed of a horse galloping. For this reason, a huge number of tourists could not overcome this path, drowning in the bay.

The history of the emergence of the oldest monastery is connected with beautiful legend: In 708 Archangel Michael appeared in a dream to Bishop Saint Auber of Avranches with a decree to start building a monastery of monks on the island. Upon waking, the bishop thought that he might have misunderstood the vision. After the second such dream, he continued to doubt, so Avranches dreamed of the Archangel for the third time, leaving a burn on his head. Immediately after this, the bishop decided to initiate construction.

In the 10th century, the number of pilgrims became so great that a small city was built for them at the foot of the monastery, and the abundance of donations made it possible to collect the necessary amount to erect a huge temple on the top of the mountain. Several hundred regular monks lived on the territory of Mont Saint-Michel by the beginning of the 13th century. But gradually the importance of the abbey weakened, and by 1791 the monastic life here ended, giving way to a prison that lasted until the end of the French Revolution. Since 1873, a large-scale reconstruction has begun, during which Mont Saint-Michel has a modern appearance. To many, it resembles the castle from the Disney film company screen saver, which for many years personifies the beauty of the castles of the Middle Ages.

In France, there is one of the most beautiful ancient monasteries - Lérins Abbey. It is located at a distance of three kilometers from Cannes, so most tourists visiting Cannes rush here to touch the history of the Middle Ages.

The Lerins monastery was founded in 410, after a hermit monk settled here in search of solitude. The disciples did not want to leave their spiritual father, so they followed him and settled Lerins Abbey on a desert island. By the 8th century, this place became the most influential region of France and Europe, it owned many possessions, not excluding the villages of Cannes.

Lacking worthy protection, this place became a tasty and easy prey for the Saracens, who plundered the treasury and killed all the monks. Only one of the former inhabitants of the monastery survived - the monk Elenter, who rebuilt on the ruins new temple. After that, the buildings were repeatedly destroyed, but the perseverance of the monks overcame all the troubles. After the French Revolution, the island was sold famous actress where the Gostiny Dvor was located for 20 years. Only in 1859 was Bishop Fréjus able to buy it in order to revive the holy place.

Now 25 monks live on the territory of the monastery, who, in addition to spiritual service, are engaged in growing grapes and in the hotel business.

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The Murom Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (“Spassky on Bor”) is a male monastery located in the city of Murom, on the left bank of the Oka River. The oldest monastic monastery in Russia was founded by Prince Gleb (the first Russian saint, the son of the Baptist of Russia, the great Kievan prince Vladimir). Having received the city of Murom as his inheritance, the holy prince founded the princely court higher up the Oka, on a steep bank overgrown with forests. Here he built a temple in the name of All-Merciful Savior and then a monastic cloister.

The monastery is mentioned by chronicle sources before all other monasteries on the territory of Russia and appears in the "Tale of Bygone Years" under 1096 in connection with the death of Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich under the walls of Murom.

Many saints lived within the walls of the monastery: St. Basil, Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, Holy Princes Peter and Fevronia, Miracle Workers of Murom, St. Seraphim of Sarov visited his companion, the holy elder of the Spassky monastery, Anthony Groshovnik.

One page of the history of the monastery is connected with Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In 1552 Grozny went to Kazan. One of the paths of his rati lay through Murom. In Murom, the tsar arranged a review of his army: from the high left bank, he watched how the warriors crossed to the right bank of the Oka. There Ivan the Terrible made a vow: if he takes Kazan, he will erect a stone temple in Murom. And he kept his word. By his decree, in 1555, the Spassky Cathedral of the monastery was erected in the city. The emperor donated church utensils, vestments, icons and books to the new church. In the second half of the 17th century, the second warm stone Church of the Intercession was built in the monastery.

The reign of Catherine the Great did not have the best effect on the life of the monastery - she issued a Decree, according to which the monasteries were deprived of property and land plots. But Spaso-Preobrazhensky survived. In 1878, the rector Archimandrite Anthony brought an icon to the monastery from Mount Athos. Mother of God"Quick listener". Since then, it has become the main Shrine of the monastery.

After the revolution of 1917, the reason for the closure of the Transfiguration Monastery was the accusation of its rector, Bishop Mitrofan (Zagorsky) of Murom, of complicity in the uprising that took place in Murom on July 8-9, 1918. Since January 1929, the Spassky Monastery was occupied by the military and partly by the NKVD department, at the same time the destruction of the monastery necropolis began, and civilians were denied access to its territory.

In the spring of 1995, military unit No. 22165 left the premises of the Spassky Monastery. Hieromonk Kirill (Epifanov) was appointed viceroy of the reviving monastery, who was met with complete devastation in the ancient monastery. In 2000-2009 the monastery was overhauled with the support of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation.