Panoramas

Spherical Panorama : St. Bernard's Grotto, Switzerland

View of the interior of Saint Bernard’s “grotto,” or cave, constructed by Saint Bernard in the 11th Century C.E.  The still active Augustinian Monastery was built on this site in stages from the 11th to the 19th centuries.

The grotto is accessible from what is now the kitchen storerooms at the lower level of the monastery.  It is not open to the public.  A natural boulder was used to form part of the wall on one side.  Stones were added to create the remaining walls and arched ceiling. The floor is dirt.

The candles were placed in the scene to give some ambience as well as scale, but were not used for lighting. The overall space is tiny, approximately 8 feet long, 5 feet wide and 5 feet high.  It is not clear how much time Saint Bernard spent here during the winter, but it is believed that he sometimes wintered here in order to help travelers across the pass. The pass is at 2,473 meters (8,110 feet).

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