Capuchin convent Altdorf
The Capuchin Convent Altdorf , Capuchin Convent St. Karl at the Upper Holy Cross, was built in the years 1677/1678. The construction was financed by a collection of alms in monasteries and foundations, donations from Altdorf families and contributions from public corporations. The entire system and the interior reconstruction after the fire of 1694 have largely been preserved. The Capuchin convent in Altdorf is an important example of Franciscan convent architecture from the late 17th century.
history
The first Capuchin convent in the canton of Uri was built in Attinghausen in 1608. The relocation of the convent from Attinghausen to Altdorf after a fire had completely destroyed the local monastery is well documented in documents and monastery chronicles. Just one week after the fire, a village community called upon by the convention decided to give the monastery the Holy Cross Chapel, which was first mentioned in writing in 1561 and built in 1615/1617. The Chapel of the Holy Cross from 1615/1617 is one of the earliest church buildings that were consecrated to Karl Borromeo , who was canonized in 1610 , and was a plague sanctuary with the patrons Sebastian and Rochus. The Holy Cross Chapel was expanded into a monastery church in 1678. The outer choir as a liturgical center, the women's choir and the sacristy connected to the monastery were added to the existing nave . This created an elongated, closed structure 33 meters long. A large, elaborately designed vestibule was realized in 1704, with the Serliana motif apparently being taken over from the previous building. Inside the monastery church, the ensemble of main altar and two side altars deserves special mention. They are among the oldest preserved stucco marble altars in Central Switzerland and are of significant quality in terms of design and execution. The high altar is based on a design by Caspar Moosbrugger .
The Capuchin Sisters were also allowed to purchase land from the adjoining goods for the construction of the monastery. The people of Altdorf, especially the leading circles from which a good number of the sisters came, supported the resettlement. They saw this as a welcome increase in the prestige of the capital. They also hoped that members of the convention would run a girls' school. The monastery was popular and respected by the population. The nuns prayed for the concerns of their fellow men and many people from Uri received spiritual encouragement and financial help at the monastery gate. In the Altdorf village fire of 1799, the Capuchin convent was spared. The monastery church and the inner choir served as the parish church during this time. The councils and courts met in the women's monastery until 1806 and the cloister had to be lifted for years.
Faithful to the Franciscan heritage, the nuns led a simple life. As a contemplative community, they cultivated monastic seclusion (cloister). However, from the beginning until 1990 they had an educational mandate. In contrast to the Capuchins, the convent remained largely autonomous in legal terms. In 2002 the religious community decided to dissolve itself. The last Capuchin woman left St. Karl's convent in November 2004. Since then, a church foundation has been responsible for ensuring maintenance and the best possible use of the other secular buildings and facilities.
architecture
The Capuchin Monastery of Altdorf shows the scheme of a four-wing monastery with an outside monastery church. A similar system can be found in Bornhofen (Rhineland). With the concept chosen in Altdorf, monastic and local requirements could be optimally combined. At the exit of the village on Gotthardstrasse a representative monastery front was created, the cell tracts for monastic life are aligned with the shielded garden. In deviation from the customs of the Capuchin convent building, the facility in Altdorf has three instead of two upper floors. The cloister is incorporated into the main building on all sides and the storey height exceeds the usual dimensions at the time. Also noticeable are the unusual spaciousness with free forecourts and a large amount of space and the rich addition of expensive sandstone door dishes. The three-storey building and the stately height of the room make references to the Franciscan convents of Bregenz-Thalbach (1674/1677) and Günzbürg (1674/1677, Michael Thumb ), which were built around the same time . The architect of the Capuchin convent in Altdorf is unknown. Maybe it comes Michael Kuen of Bregenz in question, who worked at that time for the Einsiedeln Monastery and connections to central Switzerland had.
See also
literature
- Helmi Gasser: The art monuments of the canton Uri Volume 1: Altdorf 1st part history, settlement development, sacred buildings. Edited by the Society for Swiss Art History GSK. Bern 2001 (Art Monuments of Switzerland, Volume 96), ISBN 3-906131-00-9 , pp. 306–361.
- P. Seraphin Arnold: Capuchin convent Altdorf. Altdorf 1977.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Stiftung Frauenkloster St. Karl , accessed on October 10, 2017
Coordinates: 46 ° 52 '44.3 " N , 8 ° 38' 36.5" E ; CH1903: 691 840 / 192689