Fraumünster – art, history and divine stained glass windows

Founded in 853 by King Louis the German, this church with its convent was inhabited by the female members of the aristocracy of Europe. The convent enjoyed the patronage of kings and the abbess the right to mint coins in Zurich until well into the 13th century. Ownership of the church and convent passed to the city of Zurich after the Reformation.

Important architectural features include the Romanesque chancel and the high vaulted transept. The nave was last renovated in 1911.

Its most stunning treasures are the stained glass windows: those in the north transept are by Augusto Giacometti and the five-part cycle in the chancel and rosette in the southern transept the works of Marc Chagall. The cloister also reveals a series of frescos by Paul Bodmer.