Convent of St John

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The Convent of St John in Müstair, in canton Graubünden. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

The entrance to the external court yard, site of the stables. (swissinfo.ch/Stefania Summermatter) swissinfo.ch

Built in around 960, the Planta Tower is the oldest secular building in the Alps. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

The cloister offers the visitor a first taste of the tranquillity of the convent and links the church and the museum. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

For grace and thanks - the ex voto offerings. (swissinfo.ch/Stefania Summermatter) swissinfo.ch

Carolingian and Romanesque frescos in the convent's church. (swissinfo.ch/Stefania Summermatter) swissinfo.ch

Charlemagne’s statue is a visible symbol of the respect given to the Holy Roman Emperor. According to legend, it was Charlemagne who ordered the convent to be built. (swissinfo.ch/Stefania Summermatter) swissinfo.ch

The Madonna, enthroned and with child, is one of the main medieval works of art at the convent. (swissinfo.ch/Stefania Summermatter). swissinfo.ch

Visitors are allowed to take part in the mass in the convent’s church, but are not permitted into the women’s gallery in which the nuns are seated. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

The Last Judgement, surrounded by angels. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

The wonderful convent garden. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

Ora et labora (pray and work), both day and night. (Jesus' bride, Marianne Pletscher and Susanna Fanzum, SF, 1998)

These small cells, which can just about accommodate a bed, chest and a prie-dieu, were used in the past by servants or novices. (Pro St John’s Convent Foundation, Müstair)

The nuns' final resting place at the convent. (James Steakley)

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Where history, archaeology and spirituality meet.

The Convent of St John in Müstair offers a unique glimpse into medieval times and has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1983. It is also a thriving institution, in which cultural work, archaeological research and the Benedictine nuns happily coexist.