Eglise Abbatiale Saint Maurice d'Ebersmunster, Ebersmunster

The Abbey church Saint Maurice is the main attraction of the village of Ebersmunster near Sélestat, Alsace. The church completed in 1727, the work of Vorarlberg architect Peter Thumb, is considered one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in France.
Saint Maurice served as the abbey church of a now defunct Benedictine monastery, founded in the 7th century and belonging to the oldest in Alsace. The relatively plain exterior of the building, construction of which was started in the late 17th century to replace a much older predecessor, is related in its rectangular floor plan to a medieval form of architectural language and indicates nothing of the richness of the interior design and furnishing. These are largely the work of Tyrolean artists: the ceiling paintings (1730–1733), with depictions of the legends of Maurice and of Benedict are by Josef Mattes (nave) and Joseph Mages (chorus, transept, crossing); the choir and confessionals were also made by Tyrolians. Some Alsatians and Germans were however involved in the design of the bright and colorful interior: The expressive Samson pulpit (see also St. George's Church, Sélestat) is a work by Clemens Winterhalder and the mighty main altar (1728) one by Jean-Léonard Meyer from Sélestat The other altars are works by Anton von Wihl, from Sélestat, and Anton Ketterer, from Colmar. Make Eglise Abbatiale Saint Maurice d'Ebersmunster a centerpiece of your Ebersmunster vacation itinerary, and find what else is worth visiting using our Ebersmunster road trip planning site.