Marienberg Abbey

Mals, Italy

Marienberg Abbey was founded in 1149 or 1150 by Ulrich von Tarasp and other nobles. It has maintained a long tradition of education and, at 1,340 m, it is Europe’s highest abbey. It retains a Baroque style with Romanesque elements, and has some well-maintained frescos.

The history of the foundation goes back to Charlemagne, who established a Benedictine monastery between 780 and 786 near Taufers, a town which on the Vinschgau side of the border with Switzerland. In 1149 or 1150 the community was re-settled on the hill near the village of Burgeis, under the name of Marienberg.

About one hundred years after its foundation the abbey suffered from serious conflict. It was sacked twice by nobles under Abbot Konrad III (1271–98) and in 1304 Abbot Hermann was killed by Ulrich of Matsch. The Black Death killed all but four members of the abbey including Abbot Wyho and Goswin, a lay brother, who later became a priest and chronicled the history of the monastery. This chronicle is divided into three books, the first of which details the story of the foundation and donations to the abbey. The second book of the chronicle is a history of the abbots, and the third recites the privileges conferred by popes and princes. It gives an account, without regard for order or chronology, of the founders, fortunes, benefactors and oppressors of the monastery. Goswin later became a prior of the abbey and court chaplain to Duke Leopold III of Austria. In 1418 Marienberg was burned down and was later rebuilt.

After a period of decline in the 16th century, several German monks helped to restore and expand the abbey. Abbot Mathias Lang (1615–40), from Weingarten Abbey, reformed it, and in 1634 Marienberg joined the Benedictine Congregation of Swabia. Lang's successor, Jacob Grafinger (1640–53), enlarged the library, and made the younger members finish their education at schools of repute. In 1656 the abbey was again burned down. Abbot Johann Baptist Murr (1705–32) in 1724 founded a humanistic high school in Meran which is still administered by the monks of Marienberg. Abbot Placidus Zobel (1782-1815) compiled a chronicle of the abbots.

In 1807 Marienberg was dissolved by the Bavarian government, but was restored by Emperor Francis II in 1816.

Today the monks specialise in adult education: weekend courses and longer retreats are held at the abbey. The abbey itself is available for tours.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Frazione Slingia 1, Mals, Italy
See all sites in Mals

Details

Founded: 1149
Category: Religious sites in Italy

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Christof Benauer (Christof.the.engineer) (14 months ago)
Super quiet place, well preserved, free parking places close by. Wonderful beautiful Church, great guides and a must visit on the way from Italy to Austria
Sarah Norris (17 months ago)
Beautiful abbey in such a peaceful and idyllic location! It’s a 25-minute walk on a path from Burgeis/Burgusio and has a modern and interactive museum exhibition space.
ALE X (2 years ago)
Truly impressive place cared for with great spirituality. Too bad that the guide in Italian was a big disappointment .... You have to train the guides to correctly explain the splendid places to visit. The ticket has a price and you want the beautiful places to be explained properly and not roughly.
Mario Maestri (2 years ago)
The abbey (Abtei Marienberg in German) is a Benedictine monastery founded in the twelfth century, which rises just above Burgusio, in Val Venosta, and is the highest construction of its kind in Europe (1,335 meters above sea level). It includes a Romanesque church with three aisles in the Baroque style in the 17th century, the cloister, a garden and land where the highest wine in Europe is grown, the crypt and museum spaces, as well as the convent. Splendid location.
Giacomo Frusca (3 years ago)
very nice place with spectacular views, unfortunately the visits are poorly organized and you visit very little
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.