Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland
We went to Einsiedeln on November 05, 2006 to see the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln which is also known as the Einsiedeln Abbey or “Kloster Einsiedeln“. Since it was on a Sunday, we were fortunate enough that there was no mass when we arrived there at past 1:00 pm.
Einsiedeln is a small municipality in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. Einsiedeln is best known for its famous monastery, the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln. It is probably the most frequented pilgrimage destination in Switzerland because of the Einsiedeln Abbey.
The Abbey Church is open daily from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm. It’s not allowed to take pictures inside the church, so I have nothing to show you. I will also not attempt to describe to you the baroque inside of the church with its impressive frescos and stuccos. I can only say, it was definitely worth visiting it.
The Fountain of Our Lady, also known as Maria Fountain or Lady Fountain, dates back to the time of Saint Meinrad and is situated in front of the monastery and in the middle of the square.
Saint Meinrad (Meinrad the Hermit) was a monk from the monastery of Reichenau who went into solitude, embraced an eremitical life and established a hermitage bringing with him a statue of Our Lady. He inspired a lot of hermits and one of them was Eberhard. It was Eberhard, who founded the monastery and became the first abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln.
The spot where the Lady Chapel stands today is where Meinrad built his hermit’s cell and oratory. The Lady Chapel, where the Black Madonna is located, is considered to be the chapel of Saint Meinrad.
