Cloister Walk of Disibodenberg Monastery

What it is

This photograph shows the cloister walk of the ruined Disibodenberg monastery, a stone passage with weathered walls and steps, now overgrown with grass and trees. A modern visitor walks through the ruin.

Why it matters

Disibodenberg was the monastery where Hildegard of Bingen was enclosed as a child and later lived for many years as a nun before founding her own community at Rupertsberg. The ruins give a sense of the setting where she spent much of her early religious life, though the structures visible today are much changed.

Look closer

• What does the ruined state of the cloister tell you about the passage of time?
• How might this space have looked when it was in use during Hildegard's lifetime?
• Why is it useful to see a modern photograph alongside written sources about Hildegard's life?