Stone Building in the Alps: Müstair Monastery in its Landscape Context

Müstair Monastery, founded in AD 775 during the Carolingian period, stands out as a monumental stone structure amidst the small proprietary churches of the Adige Valley. This study reveals that such large-scale building projects were not only significant in their own right but also had profound impacts on landscape dynamics, including climate conditions, vegetation cover, natural resources, and settlement patterns. By analyzing the monastery's spatial context and construction methods, researchers demonstrate how early medieval monumental stone architecture served as a political instrument, influencing regional and European landscapes. The research combines long-term perspective analysis with spatial and material studies to evaluate the broader implications of monumental construction in the Alps.

Hueglin Sophie, & Cassitti, P. (2021). Stone Building in the Alps: Müstair Monastery in its Landscape Context. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.7882754