St. Petersinsel
Encyclopedia
St. Petersinsel or Île de St-Pierre (St. Peter’s Island) is a peninsula
situated in Lake Biel
in the canton of Bern, Switzerland
. It was formed in the last Ice Age (see Pleistocene
), when the Rhône Glacier
reached as far as the Jura mountains
. It is a promontory
of the Jolimont
, above Erlach
.
In the late nineteenth century following the engineering works of the Jura water correction
, the water-level of the three lakes of the Seeland
have dropped enough to clear the until then hidden isthmus
, linking Erlach to St. Petersinsel, which has eversince become a peninsula
.
Monks of the Cluniac order were the first inhabitants of the island, and built a monastery
here in 1127.
Before his expulsion, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, spent two months on the island in 1765 calling it the "happiest time of his life".
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
situated in Lake Biel
Lake Biel
Lake Biel or Lake Bienne is a lake in the west of Switzerland. Together with Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at , at the language boundary between German & French speaking areas.The lake is 15 km long and up...
in the canton of Bern, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It was formed in the last Ice Age (see Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
), when the Rhône Glacier
Rhône Glacier
The Rhone Glacier, or sometimes Rhône Glacier is a glacier in the Swiss Alps and the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the Swiss canton of Valais...
reached as far as the Jura mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
. It is a promontory
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
of the Jolimont
Jolimont (mountain)
The Jolimont is a hill that stretches Southwest to Northeast for about 4 km along the Thielle canal, between the Lake of Neuchâtel and the Lake of Bienne, in the Seeland, Switzerland....
, above Erlach
Erlach
Erlach may refer to:places in Austria:*Erlach , a locality of Kallham*Erlach , a locality of Pischelsdorf am Engelbach*Bad Erlach, also known as Erlach an der Pitten in Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austriaplaces in Switzerland:...
.
In the late nineteenth century following the engineering works of the Jura water correction
Jura water correction
The correction of the waters of the Swiss Jura consisted in a wide series of hydrological undertakings carried out in Switzerland in the region of the three lakes: Lake Morat connected to Lake Neuchâtel by the Broye canal, the latter connected to Lake of Bienne by the Thielle canal, an area so...
, the water-level of the three lakes of the Seeland
Seeland (Switzerland)
Seeland is a region in Switzerland, at the foot of the first mountain range of the Jura Mountains containing the 3 lakes of Morat , Neuchâtel and Bienne . In previous aeras, it was the floodplain of the Aare and is thus swampy. After the huge hydrological works Jura water correction, the area...
have dropped enough to clear the until then hidden isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
, linking Erlach to St. Petersinsel, which has eversince become a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
.
Monks of the Cluniac order were the first inhabitants of the island, and built a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
here in 1127.
Before his expulsion, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, spent two months on the island in 1765 calling it the "happiest time of his life".