One day in St. Gallen
Everything happens in life. Today you enjoy every spring ray, and tomorrow we are standing at the station, for example, in Zurich, and you sit down in the first train, to go away from the noisy city in the town where, it seems, the time has stopped, where at eight in the evening it is difficult to meet in the street of Passegish and in eleven – find an outdoor restaurant.
St. Gallen is just the same town – in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, on the shore of the Lakes – he will cure a restless soul and calm the heart.
St. Gallen’s story is obliged to the Irish monk named Gallus, built in such a wonderful place in 612 house hermitage. His followers, Benedictine, a hundred years later, they founded the monastery on the same place, giving him the name of the old monk. Gradually formed around the monastery town, which has become over time the cultural center of Europe, thanks to the library of the abbey and education of novices of the Order, which has been prescribed under the statute to collect and study the books.
The monastery complex with his main Baroque style cathedral was preserved in an excellent condition, and from 1983 he is protected by UNESCO. The cathedral, the former main church of the Abbey, was erected between 1755 and 1766 by Austrian architect Johan Michael Birground Bilstein. The majestic facade of two towers, each of which rises 68 meters, is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The architectural solutions of the cathedral are typical for that time: an elongated building consists of an altar and a richly decorated nef, connected by the Central Rotond. Around the perimeter stand statues of saints, Madonna and, of course, the founder of the city of St. Gallus. Over the altar – Rare for cathedrals Detail – big clock. Benedictine believed that everyone who would like to gaze on the arrows of the clock, would understand the shiny of this life and think about the fact that every minute brings the person to death.
- Cathedral, St. Gallen
- Clock on the Tower of the Cathedral
- Abbey in St. Gallen
But nevertheless, a cathedral is not a cathedral – the main attraction of the monastery complex in the old center of St. Gallen. This is the monastery library with a two-story reading room – the real treasure in the style of Rococo.
The abbey library is the oldest, it is believed that it is based in the 9th century, and perhaps the most interesting in the world. Every year more than one hundred thousand people come here to admire the great book assembly of monks. Above the entrance to the library there is an inscription on ancient Greek: Psyches Iatreion, which is translated as "Pharmacist soul".
Nulling huge felt slippers, so as not to spoil the old parquet floor, visitors with fading enter the small hall. Photographing foliants is prohibited. Library caretakers are zealously followed by tourists and stop any attempt to break the rules. With the same zeal, they also close and open blinds on antique windows, so that no sunlight penetrates inside.
More than 160 thousand books and ancient manuscripts are collected on wooden shelves. This collection of handwritten medieval books is considered the largest in the world. Ancient herbalists, textbooks for astronomy and chiromantia, the most first handwriting german book – Latin dictionary are exhibited behind the glass windows.
It is noteworthy that the abbey library is still valid. Anyone can come and explore this or that book, having previously notified the leadership of his desire. Permission will give if your interest will be professional. However, to extract the ancient pages can any. You can do this online on the website www.Cesg.Unifr.ch. The big project for the translation of manuscripts into digital format started more recently. He is funded by Andrew Foundation in. Mellon, who allocated one million dollars on this job. The idea is not Nova. Several years ago, the European Union, who collapsed in Europe’s destructive floods in Europe, developed the Europeana program, invested over $ 175 million in the translation of European library funds in digital forms. A small part of the grant got both St. Gallen. For more than four years, the expert team has been working with manuscripts in a small room over the library of the abbey, starting scanning from ancient foliants dating from up to 1000. On special equipment using high-resolution cameras, day after day scientists replenish the database of e-books. Today, 144 manuscripts are available online, more than 200 are already scanned. Despite the efforts of scientists to promote books on the Internet, to look into an ancient library still worth it, otherwise how you will hear the creak of a wooden staircase to the second floor, feel an unforgettable smell of ancient, go around the bizarre globe.
- Old St. Gallen’s houses
- Mansard in the old house
- Old Town, St. Gallen
- Erkers and Turks – St. Gallen Decoration
Walking around the old center of St. Gallen, looking at the bright painted facades of houses and carved erkers, each tourist unexpectedly falls from the fairy tale of curves to the quarter, where modern art is hanging even in the air. Huge balls lamps stretched over Red Square, change their color in the evening every five minutes, lighting the art installation. This Stadtlounge is the largest open-air living room in Switzerland. Meetings are appointed here, communicate with warm summer evenings, comfortably settled on the red sofas and benches. The idea of this unusual project belongs to two friends – Architect Carlos Martineza and the Multimedia Artist of Pipilotti Ristu, who turned the Bleicheli quarter to the main recreation area of local residents. However, unconventional for the old Swiss city of buildings in St. Gallen is enough – impresses the architecture of the architect of the architect Santiago Calatrava with a sliding roof, bizarre bus stops, the building of the Neue Kunst Halle Museum.
- Place of meetings in St. Gallen
- Art lamp in St. Gallen
- St. Gallen Center
- Stadtlounge, St. Gallen
- Installation on the street, St. Gallen
Per day spent in St. Gallen, you can have a lot. Be sure to look at the Textile Museum, where the best lace samples are collected, which this city is so famous. A variety of exhibitions are constantly held in the museum, where the best students of the Faculty of Arts of the Local University are presenting their work. By the way, the University of St. Gale is considered one of the best in the country, economists, diplomats, doctors teach. In good sunny weather it is worth climbing the funicular to the top of the Santis Mountain, admire the surroundings. From the observation deck you can see the boundaries of the neighboring five countries – if lucky with the weather. Well, in the evening, it is necessary to rebound in one of the local restaurants with home cooking, where you will be offered delicious local sausages Bratwurst with Rosti potatoes, local Swiss wine or wonderful beer. Here are a couple of addresses, where local residents are preferred: Neubad Restaurant at Bankgasse 6 and Restaurant Goldened Schafli on Metzgergasse 5. In them to book a table worth in advance.
To solve only you, will you spend the night in one of the cozy hotels in the center or sit on the last train, which will take you back to the city, where someone is waiting for you. Whatever option you choose, the day in St. Gallen will remain in memory, turning into an ancient manuscript, telling about one interesting journey.
