The castle chapel of Pfäffikon
The castle chapel of Pfäffikon. The place name Pfäffikon means "court of the priest". It is assumed that there was a building here on the shore of Lake Zurich, in which the clergyman who looked after the island of Ufenau lived, together with the associated area. The castle and the chapel, like the island of Ufenau, have belonged to the Einsiedeln monastery for centuries.
Anselm von Schwanden, abbot of Einsiedeln Abbey from 1233 to 1266, had the thick tower built, which we can still see here today. It is believed that the tower served primarily as a granary for the monastery's growing agricultural crops. In the early 14th century, the town bailiff of Rapperswil attacked the storage tower in Pfäffikon, but the local population of Rapperswil then stopped him from plundering it. As a result of this raid, the tower was reinforced with a moat.
Today's chapel dedicated to Saint Eustace was consecrated in 1568. Eustace is an early Christian martyr who died around 118 AD.
In 1798, French troops plundered the church. The present interior dates from the late 19th century. The neo-baroque altars were created in the monastery workshop in Einsiedeln. The canteen of the high altar now serves as a people's altar. The relics of Saint Pope Clement of Rome are said to be in this canteen. A look at the left side altar brings us back to the island of Ufenau. Here we see relics of St. Adalrich, who - as we have heard - worked as a priest on the island in the 10th century.
Source / Literature:
Buschor Oechslin, Anja: The art monuments of the canton of Schwyz. Volume 4: The District Courts. New edition. Bern. Published by the Society for Swiss Art History. 2010. 379 pages with illustrations and index. Linen with dust jacket. Series: The art monuments of Switzerland; volume 118