Medieval History
Father Paul Mark Schwan shivers in the morning chill of California's Sacramento Valley, a blue hooded sweatshirt layered over his monk's robes. It's almost eerily quiet at the Abbey of New Clairvaux, an order of Cistercian monks in this town 20 miles north of Chico, where Schwan serves as abbot. A blanket of mist hugs the walnut orchards as the abbot picks his way across the muddy ground.
Before him lies a surreal site: an intact medieval church with vaulted limestone walls and peaked windows, looking as if it was dropped there by accident.
"I believe these stones were going to be used as a changing room for an indoor swimming pool," says Schwan, 56, looking thoughtfully at the building. "Thanks be to God it didn't happen."
This is the famous Chapter House of Ovila - a Spanish Trappist monastery built in the 12th century, rebuilt in the 16th century and with a history so dramatic, it almost belongs in a pulp novel. Originally imported by William Randolph Hearst to be used in a grand estate that never was, the monastery stones were all but abandoned in Golden Gate Park for more than 60 years.
But through the tireless lobbying of Schwan's predecessor, and a 12-year campaign by the monks to raise $7 million for a painstaking reconstruction, those stones found a home in Vina.
Click here to read this article from the San Francisco Gate
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An archaeological investigation at Furness Abbey in northwest England has uncovered the grave of an abbot, which includes an extremely rare medieval silver-gilt crozier and bejewelled ring. The grave, which could date back to the 12th century, was uncovered...
- Fire Damages Centuries Old Abbey
A medieval abbey that's home to a community of Belgian monks has been badly damaged by fire. The abbey in Rochefort, in southern Belgium, is famous for the strong beer brewed there by the Trappist monks. Click here to see the video report from BBC...
- Archaeologists Find Medieval Remains At Rothe House In Ireland
Rothe House, a historical home in the Irish town of Kilkenny, revealed last week that archaeologists have discovered medieval finds dating back to the 14th and 15th century. This was during a period that property was owned by the Abbot of Duiske Abbey,...
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Restoration of the St Michael the Archangel Monastery near the Bulgarian town of Trun will begin next year, Trun Mayor Stanislav Nikolov said. The monastery has been proclaimed an archaeological and cultural monument of national importance. It is located...
Medieval History
Medieval church finds home in California
Father Paul Mark Schwan shivers in the morning chill of California's Sacramento Valley, a blue hooded sweatshirt layered over his monk's robes. It's almost eerily quiet at the Abbey of New Clairvaux, an order of Cistercian monks in this town 20 miles north of Chico, where Schwan serves as abbot. A blanket of mist hugs the walnut orchards as the abbot picks his way across the muddy ground.
Before him lies a surreal site: an intact medieval church with vaulted limestone walls and peaked windows, looking as if it was dropped there by accident.
"I believe these stones were going to be used as a changing room for an indoor swimming pool," says Schwan, 56, looking thoughtfully at the building. "Thanks be to God it didn't happen."
This is the famous Chapter House of Ovila - a Spanish Trappist monastery built in the 12th century, rebuilt in the 16th century and with a history so dramatic, it almost belongs in a pulp novel. Originally imported by William Randolph Hearst to be used in a grand estate that never was, the monastery stones were all but abandoned in Golden Gate Park for more than 60 years.
But through the tireless lobbying of Schwan's predecessor, and a 12-year campaign by the monks to raise $7 million for a painstaking reconstruction, those stones found a home in Vina.
Click here to read this article from the San Francisco Gate
- Academic Seeks Origin Of Mysterious Spanish Cloister
Could a poolside folly at a private Mediterranean resort in Spain owned by a reclusive German billionaire actually be a 12th century architectural treasure spirited away from its original home? This is the historical mystery being unraveled by a...
- Medieval Treasures Discovered In English Abbey
An archaeological investigation at Furness Abbey in northwest England has uncovered the grave of an abbot, which includes an extremely rare medieval silver-gilt crozier and bejewelled ring. The grave, which could date back to the 12th century, was uncovered...
- Fire Damages Centuries Old Abbey
A medieval abbey that's home to a community of Belgian monks has been badly damaged by fire. The abbey in Rochefort, in southern Belgium, is famous for the strong beer brewed there by the Trappist monks. Click here to see the video report from BBC...
- Archaeologists Find Medieval Remains At Rothe House In Ireland
Rothe House, a historical home in the Irish town of Kilkenny, revealed last week that archaeologists have discovered medieval finds dating back to the 14th and 15th century. This was during a period that property was owned by the Abbot of Duiske Abbey,...
- Restoration Of Medieval Monastery In Bulgaria To Begin Next Year
Restoration of the St Michael the Archangel Monastery near the Bulgarian town of Trun will begin next year, Trun Mayor Stanislav Nikolov said. The monastery has been proclaimed an archaeological and cultural monument of national importance. It is located...