Monastic Island of Reichenau
Monastic Island of Reichenau lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany. It lies between the Gnadensee and the Untersee, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The highest elevation on the island, the Hochwart, reaches 438.7 meters, or 43 meters above the lake surface. Today, these preserved areas are protecting species of plants and animals, which are typical for the region around Lake Constance.
In 724, the itinerant bishop Pirmin founded the monastery on the uninhabited island of Reichenau at Lake Constance. It’s becoming an important center of art and culture of the Middle Ages. During the “Golden Age” of Reichenau Island, numerous relics were collected.
The churches of St Mary and Marcus, St Peter and St Paul, and St George, mainly built between the 9th and 11th centuries. The famous artworks of Reichenau include the Ottonian Renaissance murals of miracles of Christ in St Georg, unique survivals from the 10th century.
In the year 2000, UNESCO inscribed the monastic island in the World Heritage List!
