The plan of the Monastery of St. Gall was conceived and drawn by Haito, the Abbot of Reichenav and the Bishop of Basle. He was also the designer and builder of the churches of Reichenav and Basle. Haito was also the ambassador to Caonstantinople. At the age of 56, Haito retired from his position as abbot to live a simpler life until he died.
The plan was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral. Haito took what he believed to be the ideal elements of this cathedral and perfected them. The plan was drawn as a study for abbot Nozbert of St. Gall.
"I laboured at this design because we believed that you had need of instruction, but rather believe that we drew through the love of God out of fraternal affection, for you to study only..."
-Haito, Abbot of Reichenav
The plan was designed on a 40x40 modular. It can be described as a visible demonstration of monastic life after 817.
Abbot Haito, was opposed to the French idea of asceticism He believed that the placement of columns, arcades and buttresses betray concern for the greatest regularity and exact symmetry, internal regiment was to be reflected aesthetically. The plan strived for a sense of completeness. This sense led to the "perfection" and utopian mood set by the drawing, The monastery was essentially designed as a monastic city. The whole monastery is conceived as a unity and designed based on function.
It was ultimately intended to embody the rule (The Benedictine Rule) functionally and to be represented using numeric laws. The monastery was rethought based on function and use, circulation and inhabitation as well as location of certain buildings.
The Benedictine Rule includes prescriptions for living in a monastery, however it is not a strict legal code. It contains insight into the monastic movement of the church. It talks about the monastic virtues of humility, silence and obedience. It also gives directions for daily living. The rule legislates details such as clothing, sleeping, food and drink, care of sick, reception of guests, recruitment, etc.
-Kate Black-
Information Sources:
"The Plan of St. Gall." 1983.http://www.stgallplan.org/en/index.html (accessed Jan, 07, 2010).
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