History of the Commandery

The Saint-Jean Commandery was founded in Sélestat in 1265. The chapel was blessed in 1268 by Albert the Great and dedicated to Saint Michael. In 1399, the Commandery came under the protection of the Strasbourg Commandery and became a priory. In 1407, a new church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was built, with the former Saint-Michel chapel serving as the choir. In the years that followed, the estate expanded. A boarding school was set up by the priests living at the commandery. Until 1560, the priests lived in a house built around 1410, known as the Ritterhof (3 place du Vieux Marché aux Vins). In 1565, Jean Holl, Commander of Strasbourg, had a new building constructed by the architect Michel Sindelin, who died during the construction work. The building was completed in 1566 but bears the date 1565.

 

Architectural presentation of the Saint-Jean Commandery

Of the buildings founded in 1265 by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John, only the Ritterhof (monks' house - 1410) and the Prior's house (1565) remain. The building of the Prior's House marks an important stage in the history of the Renaissance in Sélestat, adopting features typical of the 2nd half of the 16th century, with a strong Italian influence. The 26 x 14 metre building is flanked in the centre by a turret housing a spiral staircase, the door to which is still in the Gothic style. The neighbouring door, on the other hand, features fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals and an entablature with an arabesque frieze. The oriel, in a more antique style, features pilasters with Ionic capitals and leafy balusters.