ST. GALLEN CATHEDRAL

Like the abbey, St. Gallen Cathedral is one of the city's highlights. It is a fine example of late Baroque in the Bodensee Baroque style. The first part is particularly beautiful, with its two towers, but the second part had to undergo a restoration (1961-1967) which made it lose the charm of the old. Built in 1755 to a design by Peter Thumb, the cathedral is richly decorated with figures, frescoes, sculptures and altarpieces illustrating the history of the abbey, particularly through the figures of Gallus and Otmar. The most remarkable elements are certainly the confessionals, the rococo pulpit and the rood screen. The artists who worked on the decorations include the painter Joseph Wannenmacher, the stucco artists Johann Georg and Mathias Gil from Wessobrunn and the woodcarvers Fidel Sporer and Gabriel Loser. The high altar (1808-1810) is also noteworthy, but in a different style from the rest of the building. Note the many roses carved in the wood of the confessionals, the rose being the flower of secrets. Another interesting detail for the French: the small size of the cathedral's entrance door would have been intended to prevent Napoleon from entering with his horse!

Lapidarium: it is located at the west entrance and contains a precious collection of building stones, covering a period from the 8th to the 17th century (open every day from 2 to 4 pm).