Därstetten Abbey Church

Därstetten, Switzerland

Around the third quarter of the 12th century Freiherr von Weissenburg donated land along the Simmen river to the Augustinian order for a monastery. The monastery was first mentioned in 1228 along with the surrounding village. In 1368 the Freiherr von Brandis inherited the Weissenburg lands including patronage of the monastery. It continued to expand during the 13th and 14th centuries as nobles donated lands and the monastery bought estates.

The monastery church of St. Mary became the burial church of the Freiherrs. In 1439 the city of Bern acquired the Weissenburg lands including the monastery and the village. In 1486 they forced the monastery to accept the authority of the college of canons of the Cathedral of Bern. In 1528, Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation and secularized the monastery. The monastery church became the parish church of newly created parish.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Switzerland

Address

Kloster 43, Därstetten, Switzerland

See all sites in Därstetten

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Religious sites in Switzerland

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Stefan Bieri (14 months ago)

Tobias Künzli (14 months ago)

Alessandra Nardi (19 months ago)
Absolutely stunning little church in the alps. Lovely

Marlena Amalfitano (2 years ago)
This is a beautiful tiny church where my granfather Feuz worshipped, as well as the Abbuhls and KNuttis who were friends and relatives. It is very simple.

Richard John Evans 易政亨 (2 years ago)
So sweet of a church

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Must-See Historic Places in Córdoba

Photo from Flickr, copyright specchio.nero

Historic Site of the week

Narikala Castle

Narikala is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and the Kura River. The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulphur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. On the lower court there is the recently restored St Nicholas church. Newly built in 1996–1997, it replaces the original 13th-century church that was destroyed in a fire. The new church is of 'prescribed cross' type, having doors on three sides. The internal part of the church is decorated with the frescos showing scenes both from the Bible and history of Georgia.

The fortress was established in the 4th century and it was a Persian citadel. It was considerably expanded by the Umayyads in the 7th century and later, by king David the Builder (1089–1125). Most of extant fortifications date from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1827, parts of the fortress were damaged by an earthquake and demolished.

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!