Author: Maarten Koning

A Manuscript for the Prince-Bishop of Basel

In 2023, the Gottfried Keller Foundation acquired a medieval manuscript from Basel for Prince-Bishop Johannes von Venningen (1409-1478). This document, important for Jura’s cultural heritage, complements a collection of three manuscripts kept in the Old Archives of the Cantonal Library in Porrentruy.

He was elected bishop in 1458 and is best known for buying the Ajoie (Elsgau or Porrentruy district) and Porrentruy from the Counts of Montbéliard. The liturgical manuscript was produced in 1462.

He was also the first chancellor of the University of Basel when it was founded in 1460. This manuscript is the missing part of a four-volume work, the other three of which are kept in Porrentruy. The Latin manuscript, dated 1462-1463, is written in Gothic script with brown, blue, and red ink on parchment.

The manuscript, initially kept at the Bibliothèque du Collège des Jésuites in Porrentruy, resurfaced in 2000. The Gottfried Keller Foundation purchased it on 29 March 2023.

The old archives of the Jura Cantonal Library (le Fonds ancien de la Bibliothèque cantonale jurassienne) make the manuscript available to researchers and other interested parties. Descriptions and digitised facsimiles can be found on the e-codices.ch platform.

(Source and further information: République et Canton du Jura)

St Martin’s Day, the Fasnacht exhibition and 10 years of cooperation

On 8 November 2014, the Museum der Kulturen Basel and the Verein Basler Fasnacht-Welt decided that the ‘Basler Fasnacht’ exhibition would be open to the public from Thursday to Sunday.

The museum will provide the exhibition and infrastructure, while the Association will supervise it. This means the Fasnacht exhibition is accessible all year round and supervised by experts in the field.

So far, around 45,000 visitors have taken the opportunity to learn more about this unique Unesco World Heritage event or reminisce.

Fasnacht 2022

The ‘Basler Fasnacht’ exhibition provides an insight into the history of modern Fasnacht and its development over the past 100 years through various themed rooms.

The exhibition is open Thursday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It can be viewed separately at the Museum der Kulturen Basel at a reduced admission price.

(Source and further Information: Museum der Kulturen Basel)

Impressions of the exhibition 

The former Rheinau Monastery, the Museum and Music Isle

The Celts inhabited the Rheinau peninsula (Canton of Zurich) on the Rhine River centuries before Roman rule began (in 13 BCE). Its location on the left bank of the Rhine and the peninsula offered good defences against the Germanic tribes on the right bank. The walls of the settlement (oppidum in Latin) stood upright until its demolition in 1840.

After the Romans left in 410, the Alemanni moved into the area. The Frankish rulers of the Merovingians and Carolingians followed. They founded the famous monastery of Reichenau in 724 and the abbey of Rheinau in 778.

The Romanesque churches of St Peter and Paul, St Mary, St Mark and St George, and their famous murals on the island (‘Klosterinsel’) of Reichenau were built between the 9th and 12th centuries by German kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, the successors of the Carolingians.

It confirms the common cultural space of this region on the Rhine. The dioceses of Chur and Constance owned possessions on both sides of the Rhine. Until 1803, Klein-Basel, the part of Basel on the right bank of the Rhine, belonged to the diocese of Constance. The dioceses of Chur and Constance had been under the same archbishopric of Mainz since 843. It is only since Napoleon that national borders have separated this cultural space.

The Rheinau Monastery was an independent abbey until 1455. That year, the Confederation of eight cantons (the Eidgenossenschaft) took over the ‘Schirmherrschaft’, the actual supervision (and military protection).

In 1529, the monastery and church were looted during the Reformation, but restored to Catholic glory three years later, which is remarkable in this Protestant environment. The monastery even experienced a heyday.

The present-day monastery church was consecrated in 1710. It is one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Switzerland. The church was designed in the style of Vorarlberg (Austria): a seven-bay hall with pilaster, the transept and choir slightly raised and separated from the nave for the laity by a latticework.

Upon entering the church, the magnificent side altars and main altar, the three-nave sacristy and the walnut choir stalls at the end of the church are impressive.

In 1798, Napoleon invaded the Confederation of 13 cantons. He then founded the Helvetic Republic (1798-1803) and the Confederation of nineteen cantons (1803-1813).

Rheinau and its monastery were assigned to the Canton of Zurich in 1803. However, the canton closed the monastery in 1862. The monastery buildings were converted into psychiatric clinics. The monastery church was transformed into a parish church. The clinic was closed after 1945, and the monastery buildings stood empty for a long time. Only the House of Silence (Haus der Stille) of a small group of nuns still survives.

In 2007, the Stiftung Musikinsel Rheinau (Musikinsel Rheinau Foundation) was founded. After a thorough renovation and payment of rent to the canton, the Musikinsel Rheinau offers practice and study space to young musicians. The project is so successful that the foundation wants to expand it to include other empty buildings and cover the renovation costs.

However, these buildings are also reserved for another project: a museum. This museum aims to present the history of the Celts, the monastery and the clinic. The museum is a project of the Verein (Association) Inselmuseum Rheinau.

The canton agreed to this project and funded the feasibility study in 2014. The study’s results were positive, and a project and financing plan were submitted.

The German Bank of the Rhine

The Rhine ignores borders and meanders on

Miracles, Castles, Hellikon, Fricktal, Nature, Canton Aargau and Geoffrey Boltwood

In 1415, the Eidgenossenschaft of eight cantons (Bern, Zurich, Lucerne, Zug, Uri, Unterwalden, Schwyz, and Glarus) conquered Aargau, the homeland of the Habsburgs. The village of Habsburg and the castle near Brugg are reminders of this history.

All of Aargau? No, the Fricktal remained Habsburg until 1798 ( the Helvetic Republic). The Fricktal remained Catholic during the Reformation. In 1803, the Fricktal became part of the new canton of Aargau of the new Confederation (1803-1813) of 19 cantons.

Its Catholic character accompanies hikers on their journey to and through the Jurapark Aargau. Crosses, chapels and even religiously inspired hiking trails are ubiquitous. One example is the Martinsweg Wittnau.

The Martinsweg stretches several kilometres and includes the church of St. Martin, the Lourdes Grotto, the Besinnungsweg, the chapel Buschberg, the Martinsbronnen, and another small chapel. The Celts were already religiously inspired by this area, and several burial mounds have been identified.

The Buschberg Chapel near Wittnau was built in 1668 after a miracle. Mariastein in the monastery’s miracle book reports that a millstone crushed Miller Benedikt Martin’s legs.

The miracle happened; he got up and continued his way. In gratitude, he placed a cross on the Buschberg, which became a place of pilgrimage. By 1868, the number of visitors had grown so significantly that a chapel was built. In 2003, the 6.5-kilometre-long Martinsweg was established.

The inspiration went so far that Englishman Geoffrey Boltwood opened a new earth energy centre based on sounds from the earth on 21 November 1994. He had already opened a similar centre in England. According to him, the chapel lies on an energy line (the Ley Line) connecting Romanesque, Gothic and pilgrimage sites, including Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, the Buschberg chapel and Glastonbury in England. The region also has another, less peaceful history.

Katharina, Markgräfin von Baden, geborene Gräfin von Thierstein

The Basler Munster is the last resting place of Count Rudolf III of Thierstein and Countess Katherina von Baden, born as Countess von Thierstein.

The ruins of the castles Old Thierstein (Alt Tierstein), New Thierstein (Neu Thierstein), Old Homberg (Alt Homberg), Pfeffingen and Farnsburg tell the story. The Counts of Thierstein were important regional rulers in the Holy Roman Empire until their extinction in 1519.

Alt Thierstein

However, these religious and historical facts do not hinder the canton’s modern development in terms of culture, industry, and society.

This region and the Fricktal are characterised by plumes of smoke from the Göschenen nuclear power plant (Kraftwerk Göschenen), many art and science centres, multinationals (including ABB), and the Rhine as a modern transport and trade route.

Kraftwerk Göschenen

The Rhine

Jura stone

Jurapark Aargau

It is in close harmony with nature conservation and agricultural activity. The beautiful Jura Park, the Tiersteinberg nature reserve and its ‘Dschungelpfad’, the many hiking trails over mountains through dense forests, meadows, and valleys with their many streams, the beautiful blossoms of the cherry trees in spring and the silhouettes of these Highstam trees in autumn, and the many well-maintained rests and break places also mark this area.

De Fricktaler Chriesiwäg

The Dschungelpfad

Moreover, there is always a catering establishment near a beautiful and well-maintained village or along the road, and the Postauto is also available for local transport.

Rotenfluh, canton Basel-Landschaft. Rotenfluh was one of the 46 communes that founded the separatist canton of Basel-Landschaft in 1832.

The mythical Hermes near the post office in the colours and with the heraldry of the canton Basel-Stadt! 

Source and further information: Aargau Tourism

The Swiss Alpine Club

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) organises hiking trips in this region and elsewhere.

The SAC organises ski tours, mountaineering, hiking trips, and other sports in the high mountains, the Alps, and other regions.

Rötteln Castle and Markgräflerland as Symbol of centuries-old relationships between both Banks of the Rhine

Today, Rötteln is part of Lörrach (Baden-Württemberg), just across the border near Basel. However, the former village of Rötteln, not to be confused with the hamlet of Röttelnweiler a few hundred metres away, was one of this region’s most important political centres until 1503.

Rötteln

The Margraves of Baden, namesakes of the Markgräflerland, and their predecessors, the Freiherren of Rötteln, resided in Rötteln Castle for centuries (c.1100-1503). From there, they ruled not only the Wiesental and other areas of Baden but also, for a long time, the County of Neuchâtel, the possessions of the monastery of St. Alban (Basel) on the right bank of the Rhine, and parts of Alsace, Franche-Comté, and the Duchy of Burgundy.

The southern gate of the castle

Rötteln Castle today

Moreover, the margraves and their predecessors played a prominent role in the European power play, on equal footing with the Duchy of Burgundy, France, Habsburg and the Holy Roman Empire, dioceses (including Constance, Basel, Mainz, Strasbourg, Besançon), powerful abbeys (including St. Blasien, St Gallen, St Alban and Säckingen), the Eidgenossenschaft (especially with Basel, Bern and Solothurn), the counts of Rheinfelden, the dukes of Zähringen and other rulers.

Markgräflerland around 1556. Picture: Wikipedia

Relations between the city and the bishopric of Basel were very tied. At this time, Basel was not yet a member of the Eidgenossenschaft. Basel became a member in 1501 after the Schwabenkrieg and the Treaty of Basel (1499).

French troops destroyed Rötteln castle during the so-called ‘Niederländische Krieg’ (1672-1678). However, its ruins still majestically overlook Alsace, the Wiesental, Markgräflerland, and Basel.

The castle in the Topographia Alsatiae

Collection: Burgmuseum Rötteln

The grandeur and prestige of the castle are also evident in a description in the third volume (Topographia Alsatiae) of Matthäus Merian’s Topographia Germaniae (1644). The castle emerges as one of the ‘vornehmbsten Oerther‘. The other two volumes of the Topographia Germaniae were the Topographia Helvetiae and the Topographia Sueviae.

For a comprehensive understanding of the castle’s history, one must not only cross the Rhine but also consider the broader context, extending beyond the current national borders of France, Switzerland, and Germany. This includes the Rötteln family, its tributary, the Rotenberg family, and their heirs, the Margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg.

The Freiherren of Rötteln

One of the oldest charters of St. Gallen Abbey mentions a villa Raudinleim (leim for “Lehm” (clay) and Rau for “Rot” (red)) in 751. The Rötteln family first appears in a text (1083) by Bishop Burkhard von Fenis of Basel (1040-1107). The bishop appointed Theodericus of this family as overseer (Schirmvogt) of the possessions of the monastery of St Alban on the right bank of the Rhine.

In the following centuries, this dynasty acquired more possessions in the Wiesental and built several other castles, including Minseln, Schopfheim, Brombach, Wies, Lörrach (which was then a village), and Nordschwaben. A side branch of the Rotenberg dynasty built castles in this region, including those in Hammerstein, Rotenberg, Steinen, and Hasel.

Collection: Dreiländermuseum Lörrach

Contacts with the bishopric and the city of Basel were especially intense. The Lords of Rötteln belonged to the ‘inner circle’. They participated in the prestigious tournaments at the Münster and provided three bishops (Walter, Liutold II, and Liutold III).

The heraldry of Rötteln, northern side of the Basler Münster 

On the left, the Neuenburger heraldry

However, the dynasty died out in 1316, and the era of the Margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg began. This dynasty died out in turn in 1503, making Rötteln the administrative centre of the Margrave of Baden for almost two centuries.

Basler Münster, Katharina,  Markgräfin von Baden

The main gate to the castle (Oberburg) and the heraldry of von Hachberg-Sausenberg

Moreover, during this period, the territory of the Markgräflerland (following the acquisition of Badenweiler in 1444) was expanded to distinguish it from the northern part of the margraviate.

This dynasty and its side branch, the Hochberg, acquired not only the county of Neuchâtel but also territories in Franche-Comté and the Duchy of Burgundy. Due to the close association with the dukes of Burgundy, the old medieval castle was rebuilt around 1470 in the Prestigious Burgundian style.

The ‘Marquis de Rothelin‘ was also active in other areas, including in the diplomatic service of the dukes of Burgundy and as governor of Luxembourg around 1470, as bishop of Constance and patron of the Council of Basel (1431-1439) in an earlier period and for a long time as a mediator between Habsburg and the Eidgenossenschaft and between Burgundy and France.

The Romanesque church in Rötteln was rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1403 and was the last resting place of this dynasty. At the time, the complex had more of the character of a convent with a school, dwellings, and buildings. The monks also performed administrative duties for the margrave. 

1503-1678

Baden’s heirs and the new margraves relocated their residences to Baden-Baden, Rastatt, and eventually Karlsruhe. However, Rötteln Castle remained the regional administrative centre (Oberamt) of Markgräflerland, the Margrave county, until 1678. Its destruction in 1678 marked the end of the castle, physically and as an administrative centre.

The era of Lörrach began. This village already had some significance during the time of the Freiherren of Rötteln. They resided at their castle in Lörrach but had the misfortune of being near Basel.

Although Lörrach’s location was favourable, economic development did not take off due to its proximity to this large and powerful city. Lörrach had already been granted market rights in 1403, but remained an economic and political dwarf. The margraves at Rötteln Castle did not tolerate political competition.

However, the destruction of Rötteln Castle led to the upgrading of Lörrach. In 1678, it received city rights and became the administrative centre of the Oberamt.

Conclusion

The history of this castle tells the story of this region of Alsace, Baden and Basel. Many aspects cannot be covered in this short contribution, including the relationship with other lineages (e.g., Reich von Reichenstein, Münch, Rotberg), villages and towns (e.g., Inzlingen, Schopfheim, Hausen, Kandern, Rottweil), abbeys, the city and bishopric of Basel, Constance, and other bishoprics.

Kandern

That in itself is also irrelevant, however interesting. This ruin, well-maintained by the Röttelnbund e.V. Haagen, symbolises centuries of economic, political, religious, and social interdependence and connection on both banks of the Rhine.

(Source and further information: R. Wagner, U. Brachthäuser, M. Volk (Red.), Burg Rötteln. Herrschaft zwischen Basel und Frankreich, Neulingen, 2020; Markgräfler Museum in Müllheim)

Impressions of the ruin and the environment

Winegrowing in the Markgräflerland

The Markgräfler Museum in Müllheim

Diemtigen, wooden Doric columns, houses, agriculture and nature park

Most villages in Switzerland display one or more historical, cultural, architectural or natural attractions. Diemtigen (canton of Bern) has all four.

Diemtigen is derived from the Alemannic names ‘Thenno’, ‘Thietmar’, or ‘Diemo’. A document from 1257 mentions the village as belonging to the Bishop of Sitten, who transferred the castle (castrum) of Diemtigen to the Count of Kyburg that year. Bern acquired the region and the village in 1439.

Today, the municipality of Diemtigen, which borders the Simmental, comprises the villages of Oey (administrative centre), Diemtigen, Bächlen, Horben, Riedern, Entschwil, Zwischenflüh, and Schwenden.

Oey and the river Chirel

The village is the namegiver of the Diemtig Valley (Diemtigtal), a beautiful natural park overlooking the Alps—at least when they are not, like the Greek gods, hiding behind a veil of mist. The valley borders the Simmental.

This Greek influence is evident, among other things, in the Doric columns of a residential house, which may be the only wooden columns in the world. In any case, this house also features centuries-old timber-framed construction.

Therefore, it is with good reason that the Schweizer Heimatschutz’s Wakkerpreis was awarded to this village in 1986. The monumental wooden houses and farms are a testament to centuries-old Simmental building culture, wood processing, craftsmanship, and a reverence for heritage.

The Niklaus chapel

The Niklaus Chapel has Romanesque foundations dating back to around 1000. In 1314, the church appeared in documents. It was renovated around 1490, followed by the Reformation in 1527. The last (baroque) renovations occurred in the 17th century. Paul Zehnder (1884-1973) painted the (Art Nouveau) fresco in 1915-1917.

National Park, agriculture and forestry

The municipality of Diemtigen (with a surface of 130 km2) is located in the middle of the national park. The commune has one of the country’s most intensive agricultural land uses. The 600-hectare forest reserve is also of particular significance in this meadow landscape.

As in many places in partly densely populated Switzerland, nature management, care, and respect for flora and fauna, as well as tourism and economic exploitation, also go hand in hand in the Diemtigtal.

As in many places in the partly densely populated Switzerland, nature conservation, care and respect for flora and fauna, tourism, and economic exploitation also go hand in hand in the Diemtigtal.

The Swiss Alpine Club

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) regularly organises hikes in this area (and elsewhere) in the country.

Although the name suggests otherwise, the SAC organises not only ski tours, mountain climbing, and other sports in the high mountains and the Alps, but also hiking activities in various regions.

(Source and further information: Gemeinde Diemtigen)

Impressions of a foggy Diemigtal 

 

Bubendorf, Afghanistan, Separation, Wildenstein Castle and its Oaks

When you think of Bubendorf (canton of Basel-Landschaft), you don’t immediately associate the village with Afghanistan or a health resort. And yet, this village of over 4,000 inhabitants is home to the most extensive collection of Afghan literature, scientific publications, documentaries, photographs, videos, and pictures in Europe at the Biblioteca Afghanica.

Bubendorf was a small Roman settlement two thousand years ago. The Romans also knew Afghanistan, and who knows whether it is a coincidence that they built a temple, a Jupiter sanctuary and a villa on this site in the Frenken Valley. Centuries later, the Alemanni inhabited this area, as graves from the 7th century show.

In the 11th century, the Prince-Bishop of Basel acquired the area. The Eptingen family, in the service of the bishop, built Wildenstein Castle in the 13th century and farmed the area for agriculture and livestock. In 1400, the city of Basel acquired the village, the Dinghof and its rights.

As early as 1640, the village was known for its spa resort, Bad Bubendorf. Wildenstein Castle was also a prestigious location with changing owners, including members of the Planta and the Basel Vischer families (1792-1994).

The first assemblies took place in Bad Bubensdorf in 1830, which led to independence from Basel-Landschaft in 1833, although the village of Bubendorf remained loyal to Basel until the end. The secession from Basel took place in 1833, leading to the creation of the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft.

Political change is one thing, but the cultural landscape remains unchanged. Centuries-old oak trees, meadows, and farmland remain.

It is one of the last areas in Switzerland with a medieval cultural landscape. The castle’s appearance, including its gardens, fountains, and courtyards, also reflects its rich cultural history. The rural character and villages are also still largely authentic.

However, the volume of the famous waterfall has changed. Not so long ago, the waterfall in the gorge was a natural waterfall. Today, it is just a tiny fall, almost without water!

The Frenke stream in the village has also seen better days. It is no coincidence that Bubendorf’s coat of arms features a saw from a wooden mill, which the stream has powered for centuries.

The Swiss Alpine Club

The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) regularly organises hikes in this area (and elsewhere in the country).

The SAC organises ski tours, mountain climbing, hiking, and other activities in the Alps and elsewhere.

(More information: www.sac-cas.ch)

(Source and further information: Gemeinde Bubendorf)

Bad Bubendorf

Further impressions

St. Peter’s Island in Lake Biel, Erlach and the Jura Water Correction

St. Peter’s Island (St. Peters Insel/l’île Saint-Pierre) in Lake Biel (Bielersee/lac de Bienne) was an island until 1868 and the largest in Switzerland. Between 1868 and 1875, the lake level was lowered by more than two metres during the first Jura water correction (Juragewässerkorrektion/La correction des eaux du Jura). This project created the passage (4.5 km) and the nature reserve between the town of Erlach and the island.

St. Peter Island and the Jura water correction. Picture: Klosterinsel St. Peter

St. Peter Island

Three pile-dwelling villages were on the island’s southern, eastern and northern edges for centuries BC. Later, the island became a Roman temple district and a place of worship (2nd-3rd century), then a burial place for Merovingian families. The first church was built during the Merovingian period (7th-8th century).

At the beginning of the 11th century, the island was acquired by the Cluny Order. They laid the foundations for a large three-aisled basilica. However, this soon collapsed. The new monastery buildings and the monastery church were built around 1120.

The monastery was dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, hence the name St. Petersinsel. After the Reformation, the island was handed over to Bern in 1530. The monastery church was destroyed, and the city of Bern used the complex for a long time as a hospital.

The island gained European significance in 1765 after Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there. It became a popular destination for emperors, kings, aristocrats, politicians, artists and writers.

Goethe, Cook, Empress Josephine Bonaparte, and the kings of Prussia (who, until 1857, was also Prince of Neuchâtel), Sweden, and Bavaria visited the island.

Today, the island is a hiking area, a nature and agricultural reserve, an open-air museum and a natural monument with a hotel and restaurant.

(Source: D. Gutscher, A. Moser, L’ île Saint-Pierre, Bern, 2010)

The Heritage of Minorities, Fringe Groups and People Without a Lobby

The European Heritage Year 1975 motto was “A future for our past.” Fifty years later, given the consequences of globalisation, migration, communication technology revolutions, and civil and human rights activism, the question arises of who is meant by “us.”

The interdisciplinary conference “A Future for whose Past? The Heritage of Minorities, Fringe Groups and People Without a Lobby” is dedicated to this and other questions.

It will take place in Ascona (Switzerland) from 22 to 24 October 2025, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the European Architectural Heritage Year.

The ICOMOS working group “Architectural Heritage Year 2025,” ETH Zurich and EPFL, and the National Information Centre for Cultural Heritage (NIKE) jointly organised the conference. It aims to promote a more profound exchange between science and practice and to create a wide range of networking opportunities between the two areas. The conference venue is the Congressi Stefano Franscini Conference Centre in Monte Verità.

Call for Papers

The organisation invites researchers and practitioners from the fields of architectural and archaeological heritage preservation, heritage studies, social anthropology, history and social sciences, architecture and art history, representatives of minorities, and persons working in the integration sector to apply for a contribution.

(Source and further information: A Future for whose Past?)

Monastery on St. Peter Island and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The first monastery on St. Peter Island (St. Peterinsel/île de Saint-Pierre) in Lake Biel (Bielersee/lac de Bienne, Canton of Bern) was built during the Merovingian period (7th and 8th centuries). This Benedictine building was later extended with a rectangular choir.

The church (built around 1120) on the left was destroyed during the Reformation. On the right is the reconstruction of the first church (11th century), which was never completed. Image: St. Petersinsel

In the 11th century, the monastery became a convent of the powerful Order of Cluny. The intended large basilica with three naves was never built, but the foundations show a direct relationship with the monasteries of Cluny II (980) and Romainmôtier III (1028).

The monastery was incorporated into St. Vincent’s Abbey in Bern in 1484. Its church was destroyed during the Reformation (1530). Bern became the new owner, and the complex was converted into a hospital. Nowadays, the monastery complex is a hotel and restaurant.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) lived on the island in 1765 and wrote: “I have stayed several times in enchanting places, but to none have I owed such delighted hours, and to none have I mourned so much as to St. Peter’s Island”.

(De toutes les habitations où j’ai demeuré et j’en ai eu de charmantes, aucune ne m’a rendu si veritable heureux et ne m’a laissé de si tendres regrets que l’île de Saint-Pierre, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, ‘Rêveries du promeneur solitaire’).

 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum

An archaeological trail reveals the history of this monastery complex, showcasing remains from the Celtic, Roman, and Merovingian periods, including pile dwellings, Roman artefacts, and sarcophagi from the Merovingian era.

Roman pillar from a temple

Merovingian Sacrophage (around 700)

Remains of a wall against the waves (built around 1770)

(Source: D. Gutscher, A. Moser, L’île  Saint-Pierre, Bern, 2010)