Description of the attraction
The former Roman Catholic Franciscan monastery and the church built on its territory are located in the town of Reut, about 100 km west of Innsbruck. The last Franciscans left their abode at the end of 2014. Due to the decrease in funding, novices here became less and less every year.
The foundation stone of the Franciscan monastery was laid on 15 March 1628 in the presence of the Archduke Leopold of Austria and his wife Claudia, née Medici. The nearby church of St. Anne was also entrusted with the care of the Franciscans. The monastery was completed in 1630, but two years later, the holy monastery and temple suffered from the actions of the Swedish soldiers who took part in the Thirty Years War.
Twice - in 1703 and 1846 - the monastery burned, but was quickly restored with the financial support of local believers. In the 18th century, a Franciscan theological training center was opened at the monastery in Reut. From 1775 to 1782, military chaplains were trained here, and from 1820 to 1861 novices were trained.
The change in population in the region prompted the Franciscan brothers in 1945 to convert the monastery church into a parish church. In the 60s of the last century, it was renovated. The belfry was replaced in 1976. From 1977 to 2000, novices were again housed in the monastery.
By the second decade of the 21st century, only four monks remained in the monastery, who devoted themselves to serving in the hospital. Finally, in September 2014, the monastery closed.
Both the building of the former Franciscan monastery and the Church of St. Anne, surrounded by monastic buildings, are national architectural monuments.
