STAMS. - Cistercian abbey, in the Inn valley, in the Tyrol, under the apostolic administration of Innsbruck, formerly the diocese of Bressanone.
The monastery of S. was founded in 1273 in memory of Corradino, king of Sicily, by his mother Elisabeth, widow first of Conrad IV and then of Meinhard II of the Tyrol. The first monks came from Kaisheim, daughters of Morimond. The abbey enjoyed great favor from the ruling houses, but under Bavarian rule it was suppressed (1806), its goods dissipated, its manuscripts, library, and archives dispersed. In 1816 the monastery was reopened. It has 5 incorporated parishes.
The complex (parish, monastery, abbey church, annexed buildings, and garden) forms a very picturesque ensemble, largely still within the medieval walls. The original church, a three-aisled basilica without a transept, with three apses, was dedicated in 1284; it was first remodeled in 1601–15, then transformed into a grand Baroque hall by G. A. Gump (1729–32), with the help of many local artists. The high altar, a stupendous monumental work in polychrome and gold, was erected in 1690 according to designs by B. Steinle; it takes the form of an immense tree rising from the altar mensa to the vaults, with numerous saints among its branches, the Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, and the Most Holy Trinity. Notable is the mausoleum of the Tyrolean princes, built in the form of Roman "confessions" under the influence of Bernini’s style by A. Damasch (1670–81); the pulpit is a fine work by A. Kölle (1740). In the adjoining Chapel of the Most Precious Blood is the admired "Rosengitter" by Fra B. Bachnetzer (1716).
The monastery preserves in part its original layout, though entirely rebuilt: the convent in 1645–66, the prelature proper, the hall of St. Bernard, large and lofty, with library, refectory, etc. The "stanze relazionali" (1615–18) now serve as a museum. Notable also is the parish church, built around 1500–1515, donated by Henry, king of Bohemia, in 1313; in 1755 it was completely Baroqueized, with a rich interior. The abbey maintains a house for retreats, agricultural schools, and various institutions for peasant education.