ST. GALL, the capital of the Swiss canton of the same name; on the Stein ach ; 2,196 feet above sea-level (the high est town in Europe), 53 miles E. of Zu rich, and 9 from Rorschach on the Lake of Constance. The buildings of its famous Benedictine monastery are now used as government offices and schools, and for housing the monastic library, founded in 830, of 41,700 volumes and 1,800 MSS., several of these last of great antiquity and value. Other buildings are the old abbey church, thoroughly restored in 1756-1766, and made a cathedral in 1846; the Protestant Church of St. Lawrence (restored 1851-1853) ; the town library, founded in 1536; and the museum with collections of natural history, works of art, and antiquities. The city carries on a large trade in its staple commodity, em broidered textiles (cotton, muslin, etc.), and in agricultural products. The origi nal nucleus of the place was the cell of St. Gall (about 550-645), an Irish fol lower of St. Columban, who settled here _ in 614. Around this soon grew up a monastery of the Benedictine order, which was promoted by Charles Martel to the dignity of an abbey. The abbey grad ually became one of the masterpieces of medimval architecture; while the monks were indefatigable in the collection and transcription of MSS.—Biblical, patris
tic, historical (sacred and profane, class ical, liturgical, and legendary). Several of the classics, especially Quintilian, Sili us Italicus, and Ammianus Marcellinus, have been preserved solely through the MSS. of St. Gall. Its monastic schools enjoyed the greatest reputation for learn ing from the 9th to the 12th century. In 1454 the town was admitted to the Swiss confederation, and in 1528, through the influence of the reformer Vadianus, it embraced the new doctrines. At the close, however, of the religious war, in 1531, the Catholic religion was re-established, and the abbot reinstated. At the French Rev olution the abbey was secularized (1798), and its revenues were soon afterward sequestrated (1805). By a later arrange ment (1836) St. Gall was erected into a bishopric. The French republicans cre ated the canton of Santis out of the town and abbey lands, with others, in 1799; and in 1803 the existing canton of St. Gall was formed. Pop. of canton •1920) 294, 028; of city (1920) 69,733.