Einsiedeln Abbey

Einsiedeln Abbey is a Catholic monastery administered by the Benedictine Order in the village of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The Abbey of Einsiedeln is one of the most important baroque monastic sites and the largest place of pilgrimage in Switzerland. The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln in the Chapel of Grace attracts around 800,000 pilgrims and tourists every year. The community of Benedictine monks has around 40 members. The monastery is not under the jurisdiction of a diocese or a bishop because it is a territorial abbey. The abbey operates a private high school along with a winery, sawmill, restaurant and other small businesses in order to support itself. One of the high school students, Ludwig von Flüe, later made a career in the Swiss Guards in France. He played a key role in the Storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution.