UNESCO World Heritage

Abbey of St. Gall

1400 years of cultural history

The foundation stone for the abbey was laid in 612 by the Irish itinerant monk Gallus. A good 100 years later, Abbot Otmar revived the monastery and transformed it into an important centre for writing activities and book illumination. The spirit of the Benedictine monks can still be felt in the historically impressive walls today. The Abbey Library of St Gall, also known as the pharmacy of the soul, has what must be one of the most attractive rococo halls in Switzerland. Besides the 170,000 books, it also accommodates one of the most important autochthonous collections of medieval manuscripts in Europe. The Plan of St. Gall, the “Evangelium Longum” and the oldest conserved German language book, the “Abrogans”, are particularly worthy of note.

Factsheet
Date of Inscription

1983

Criteria of Inscription

ii, iv

Category

Cultural Heritage

Region

St. Gall

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Visitor centre
Abbey of St. Gall
In 1983, the Abbey Library, together with the entire Abbey District of St. Gall, was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List. This was followed in 2017 by ...
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Education
Abbey of St. Gall
The striking cathedral forms an impressive historical ensemble along with the Abbey library and Abbey archive. Find out what the UNESCO World Heritage of the ...
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Museum
Abbey of St. Gall
St.Gallen Abbey Library is one of the oldest, most important libraries in the world. Its valuable collection of books illustrates the development of European culture ...
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Destination
Abbey of St. Gall
Suggested programme for a cycling day in the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Abbey of St. Gall" In the morning Visit to the abbey district If you ...
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Destination
Abbey of St. Gall
Suggested programme for discovering the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Abbey of St.Gall" in one day   In the morning Visit to the abbey district The ...
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Destination
Abbey of St. Gall
Programme suggestion to discover the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Abbey of St. Gall" in one day.   In the morning Visit the Abbey of St. Gall The ...
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History, Culture and Religion
Abbey of St. Gall
The striking cathedral forms an impressive historical ensemble along with the Abbey library and Abbey archive. More about it
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Good to know
Abbey of St. Gall
Criterion (ii): The Abbey of Gozbert (816-837) exerted a significant influence on the development of monastic architecture following the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle, ...
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Our heritage
Abbey of St. Gall
How would you describe your role within the World Heritage Site? Recently, I was introduced at an event as "Madame Abbey". I think that's a good description ...
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Attraction
Abbey of St. Gall
From palm-fringed lakes to grandiose glacier landscapes, from medieval villages to vibrant cities: the Grand Tour of Switzerland gives access to an incredible ...
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History, Culture and Religion
Abbey of St. Gall
History Without its convent, the town of St. Gall would not exist. A vulnerable position far away from any major crossroads is not a likely setting to establish ...
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Museum
Abbey of St. Gall
Virtual tours of the Abbey Library and Abbey Archives The beauty and uniqueness of medieval manuscripts lie in the particular materiality of the writing material ...
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History, Culture and Religion
Abbey of St. Gall
A short film by the Swiss Commission for UNESCO
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History, Culture and Religion
Abbey of St. Gall
In 1983, the Abbey of St Gall, the Convent of St John at Müstair and the Old Town of Bern were the first cultural heritage sites in Switzerland to be included ...
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