St. Klara Monastery

St. Klara Monastery (Kloster St. Klara) in Bremgarten, canton of Aargau, Switzerland, is a former Franciscan convent for women whose 17th-century chapel still stands. The community is gone, but the chapel is rated a monument of national significance. Do not confuse it with Bremgarten bei Bern, a different town.

What is St. Klara in Bremgarten?

Beguines lived on this site in the Middle Ages. In the 15th century the community adopted the Franciscan way of life and became a tertiary convent dedicated to St. Clare. The sisters stayed until 1798, when the convent ceased to exist. What remains today is the chapel and the lane name Klosterweg.

What can you see inside the chapel?

The chapel was built in 1625 as the convent church. Between 1687 and 1688 it was remodeled and enlarged, as devotion to St. Anthony of Padua had grown. It is a long rectangular building under a low gabled roof with a small roof turret and round-arched windows. The round-arched portal rests on two rusticated columns and carries a little hipped canopy.

Inside, look for:

• a red-marbled coffered ceiling with wave-band grisaille painting on the beams,
• a three-sided nuns' gallery on round columns in the nave,
• a high altar from 1627 with a late Renaissance retable, and a domed tabernacle from 1655,
• two side altars from 1687/88, given stucco-marble columns in 1734,
• a crucifixion group from around 1630 hanging on the last beam,
• pew ends from 1746 that originally came from the parish church.

The Aargau heritage inventory ranks the building Priority A, meaning national significance. It has had cantonal protection since 1951 and federal protection since 1964.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The chapel stands on Klosterweg in Bremgarten's old town, right beside the town church of St. Nicholas. The old town is car-free, so you explore it on foot. Buses stop at Obertor, at the entrance to the old town, and at Bremgarten station. Coordinates: 47.3523 N, 8.3402 E.

What else is nearby?

Combine the visit with the rest of the old town: the town church with its Synesius altar, the Muttergottes chapel with late Gothic wall paintings, St. Anna's chapel (an ossuary), the town hall, the Spittelturm tower, and the Reuss bridge and riverside promenade. The former Capuchin monastery lies across the river, outside the old town.

Frequently asked questions

Is the St. Klara convent still active? No. The convent existed until 1798. The chapel and the street name survive.

Is the chapel a listed monument? Yes. The cantonal inventory lists it as Priority A, which means national significance.

When was the chapel built? In 1625, then remodeled and enlarged in 1687/88.

Can you go inside? The sources do not give opening hours or admission rules. Check with the Bremgarten tourist office before you visit.