Capuchin Friary, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland

The Capuchin Friary is situated to the west of the city of Rapperswil, below the Lindenhof of Rapperswil Castle on the shore of Lake Zürich on a peninsula called the Endingerhorn.

The friary was established in 1606, consisting originally of only four priests and three brothers (friars), as a Roman Catholic counterpart to the centre of the Reformation in Zürich. The monastic buildings were built by the citizens of Rapperswil, and belong to the locality of Rapperswil, while Endingen - the site of the buildings - belongs to Einsiedeln Abbey. The friary was dedicated on 23 September 1607 by bishop Johannes V Flugi von Aspermont and is still in use. In 1662 the buildings were fortified: a small fort was built at Endingerhorn, and the monastery became part of the town walls as a fortified tower to the west of the city of Rapperswil.

The rose gardens and the Antoniusgrotte, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, attract pilgrims. The lakeside location of its church is also popular for weddings. The Einsiedlerhaus is in origin the medieval bailiff's house of Einsiedeln Abbey, whence the name, and is situated at the former late 10th century ferry gate to the islands of Lützelau and Ufenau.

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Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Benjamin Fredensborg (9 months ago)
Very nice place to sit and relax

Patrick Cheah (3 years ago)
Good view of the lake from here

Zielumanax (3 years ago)
Beautiful views, really nice place to rest and enjoy the mountains

Jhony Short (4 years ago)
I only know the monastery from its gate and the wonderful rose garden. The thought that the monks still actively pursue their activities here in seclusion gave me a feeling of sympathy.

Capuchin Friary

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Wieskirche