Hildegard's legacy

Rupertsberg is a hill located near Bingen am Rhein, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. The hill is most famous for being the former site of Rupertsberg Abbey, a Benedictine convent that was established in 1150 by Hildegard von Bingen in quest of greater autonomy to pursue her religious purpose and to build a community more in line with her spiritual and intellectual visions. Rupertsberg became the center where Hildegard wrote down her mystical visions, which she believed were divine revelations. These visions would go on to shape her theological and cosmological views, and she is considered one of the most important medieval mystics in Christian history.

In the early 19th century, after the secularization of monasteries under the influence of the French Revolution, the abbey was given up. The convent was destroyed, and the buildings were repurposed for other uses. Over time, only a few remnants of the abbey remained. Today, the area of Rupertsberg is home to a memorial to Hildegard, and some of the land associated with the abbey remains accessible for visitors. The ruins are a historical and spiritual landmark dedicated to Hildegard's legacy.

River Rhine

View on the city of Bingen

The town of Bingen is located at the confluence of Nahe River and Rhine and has been historically significant due to is central role in the medieval Christian Church and its importance as a trade center for wine, timber and salt during the Middle Ages.

Museum am Strom (Hildegard exhibition)

Hildegard's spiritual guide

Jutta von Sponheim (c. 1090–1136) was a German abbess and an important religious figure in the early life of Hildegard von Bingen. Jutta was Hildegard's mentor during her formative years at Disibodenberg Abbey, where Hildegard would go on to experience her mystical visions and eventually become a renowned abbess herself. Jutta entered Disibodenberg Abbey at a young age, possibly around the time when she was in her late teens. She became a nun and eventually became the abbess of the small female community that existed at the abbey. As an abbess, Jutta was a spiritual leader who cultivated a life of asceticism, prayer, and meditation.

On my way to Burgsponheim and abbey Sponheim I encountered my first wildlife on this hike. It was also the last encounter. Autumn colours were in full force, and lightened up the grey and hazy day. Sponheim Castle (Burgsponheim) was the ancestral seat of the Sponheim family and a center of their power. The castle was built around the 11th century and served as the family’s primary stronghold.

Nice mural in Burgsponheim

Sponheim Abbey

Dalberg Castle, like many castles in the region, was originally built as a fortified residence. The exact date of its construction is difficult to pinpoint, but it is believed to date back to at least the 12th century.

The town of Spabrücken dates back to the 12th century and belonged to the lordship of Dalberg.  The Franciscan order resurrected the pilgrimage and a monastery was founded here to provide ecclesiastical care for the pilgrims and surrounding communities.