In the Steinach Valley, where the monk Gallus retreated to live a life of asceticism in the 7th century, Abbot Otmar established a Benedictine community in 747, building a monastery and a school.
During the 9th and 10th centuries, Saint Gall became one of the important cultural centers in the West. The singing schools, book decoration workshops, and especially its scriptorium, where beautifully illustrated manuscripts were created, gained fame throughout the Western Christian world.
The peak period of the monastery occurred in the 9th century under Abbot Gozbert; it was rebuilt according to a new design that celebrated the architectural ideas of the Carolingian dynasty. Today, the only remnants of the glory days of the Carolingian monasteries are the foundations and some architectural elements discovered in the 1960s.
The monastery was reconstructed from the 16th to the 18th century. The cathedral and library are two beautiful examples of Baroque style. The Abbey of Saint Gall is a significant milestone in the history of Western intellectual and religious life and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
