St William's Church, Strasbourg

Slightly set back from the intersection of the wharfs of the shipbuilders and the fishermen, the church is striking for its picturesque location on the bank of the Ill river, the lopsided character of its exterior, and its sumptuous interior combining the Gothic and Baroque styles.

Since the end of the 19th century, the excellent acoustics of the church has allowed it to serve as a venue for concerts of classical music, in particular for the Passions of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Returning unharmed from the Crusades, the knight Henri de Müllenheim undertook the construction of a monastery for the Hermits of Saint William, an order of mendicant monks, in this marshy neighbourhood situated extra muros, that is, beyond the city walls.

Sheltered by a pitched roof, its nave is topped and prolonged by a deep polygonal choir illuminated by high windows, which betrays its original function as the monks' meeting room.

It has been led by several famous choirmasters, including Wilhelm Furtwangler, John Eliot Gardiner and Charles and Fritz Munch the sons of the founder of the choir.