St. Nicholas Chapel (Vals)
The St. Nikolaus Chapel , in the local dialect Hansjoolachappeli (Hansjolakapelle), is located north of Vals near the Camp district in the Swiss canton of Grisons .
location
The chapel is in the Hansjola corridor at the exit of the Valsertal . It can be entered at ground level on the west side on the mountain side. The downhill choir lies over a large rock protruding from the meadow. The difference in height between the rock and the slope was compensated by a stone foundation so that the chapel stands horizontally. A slightly curved passage with a top height of 2.2 meters, a width of 1.80 meters and a length of around 4.5 meters leads through the artificially deepened depression between the slope and the rock. On the south side, the corridor narrows to 1.30 meters because of the protruding boulder.
construction
The length of the chapel without a tower or a bell is 5.10 meters. The west side is 4.2 meters wide; the internal dimensions are 3.80 × 2.60 meters. The gable roof is covered with stone slabs. In addition to the large arched portal, the only source of light is a small pointed arch window on the south side. The year 1731 above the window should refer to a restoration. Further restorations took place in 1923, 1974/44 (inside) and 1984/85 (outside).
history
The chapel probably dates from the second half of the 15th century, its current appearance goes back to the middle of the 17th century. At that time the barrel vault was drawn in and the choir was given a flat groin vault. The white baroque stucco altar takes up almost the entire width of the choir. In the middle niche stands a figure of St. Nicholas , flanked by two herms with female busts. The 17th century altar was partially renewed in 1923. At that time some of the murals were heavily painted over.
What distinguishes the otherwise inconspicuous chapel from comparable sacred buildings in the region is the arched corridor that leads under it without showing any connection to the interior.
Function of the corridor
Erwin Poeschel saw the corridor and chapel in connection with a dam , which is said to have closed the valley here. He traces this back to a description by Meyer von Knonau , who claims to have seen considerable remains of the Letzi above and below the street in 1876. Meyer also mentioned a strong, low tower , which Poeschel equated with the chapel. Today this interpretation is questioned.
- Meyer von Knonau's description, on the other hand, is not in doubt, even if nothing of the aforementioned dam has survived today. However, it is incomprehensible that Meyer should not have described an intact and used chapel as such and equated it with a tower. He also doesn't mention the striking passage. As a result, it can be assumed that the tower mentioned fell off like the remains of the wall. Whether the barn was built next to it on the foundations of a former tower should be checked.
- The narrow, irregularly built passage, which would have been difficult for a fully packed pack animal to pass, speaks against a gate building such as the Porclas near Cumbel. In addition, the passage does not have any locking options such as door hinges or bar holes / bolt channels. There are also no traces of a path, especially towards Vals. Why should the way have led through the passage; Was there enough space to lead the way up the mountain side of the chapel?
- At the chapel there are no signs of a connection building uphill or downhill, as it would have to be if used as part of a Letzi. In the west is the entrance that stretches across the entire width of the building and, as was common in the past, was probably only closed with a grille. In the east the rock protrudes far into the slope, so that no wall could be brought up. Further down the valley, the construction of the modern road changed the area in such a way that any remains of a wall can no longer be detected. It is conceivable that Meyer von Knonau interpreted the rocks standing in the meadow as the remains of a Letzi.
- Comparable corridors under church buildings have been preserved in several church buildings; most pronounced in the St. Lambert Church in Bechtheim, Germany, where the arched corridor below the sanctuary is interpreted as a processional path for pilgrims. In this and other churches the corridor ran below the choir, where the altar stood and from where the faithful expected salvation. At St. Nicholas it was not possible to lead the passage under the choir because the rock was there; so something was avoided to the west.
Since a late medieval or early modern Letzi near Hansjola is also unknown to the local field name researchers, the chapel of St. Nicholas was probably never part of a dam. Whether the way to Ilanz actually led through the passage remains unclear. On the other hand, the passage offered the faithful the opportunity to leave the valley path, which presumably runs up the mountain side of the chapel, and when passing the Ganges to send their requests up to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of pilgrims and travelers, and hope for fulfillment began here the most dangerous part of the journey down through the gorge of the Vals Rhine to Ilanz for those traveling downhill .
literature
- Erwin Poeschel: Art Monuments of the Canton of Graubünden , Volume IV, Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel 1942, p. 234
- Ludmila Seifert, Leza Dosch: Art guide through Graubünden: Scheidegger & Spiess, Zurich 2008; P. 200
- Udo Liessen: The St. Nikolaus Chapel in Camp - a defensive gate built by the lost Letzi von Vals? , in Bündner Monatsblatt 3/2012; Pp. 291-299
Web links
Coordinates: 46 ° 37 '58.2 " N , 9 ° 11' 14.5" E ; CH1903: 733,902 / 166113