One need not be a person of faith to enjoy the miniature folk art buildings at Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, AL. The stone and marble structures were built by Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Hungarian immigrant who served at St. Bernard Abbey from 1932 until his death in 1961.
How it began
Zoettl came to America as a young teen to study for the priesthood after being recruited in his home country. He spent his days running the power station for the monastery. It was an arduous and solitary chore. He turned to creating miniature grottoes to fill the long hours. Soon he began building replicas of eminent buildings from around the world, focusing mainly on religious structures.
Using others’ castoffs, like shards of broken glass, ceramic bathroom tiles and marbles, Brother Joe constructed a miniature wonderland, where visitors worldwide come to stroll the paths and marvel at his works. The brother rarely left Alabama, but he used photographs and his studies to create the intricate buildings. After completing one, he began working on another, until the craggy hillside in a section of the abbey grounds was filled.
A walk through the world in one afternoon
Take a stroll through the grounds via these photos.
Roadside shrines like this one dot the European countryside, often marking the place where a death occurred.Brother Joe often received gifts of religious figurines, marbles, broken glass and tiles, which he used to build his miniature vignettes.Of the dozens of landmarks he built, St. Martin’s Church in Landshut, Bavaria, was one of the few churches Brother Joe saw in his lifetime. It is located in his hometown.Twists of whimsy and vivid splashes of color appear in Brother Joe’s fairy tale-inspired works. A closeup of the middle structure, shown below, gives a view of the ways in which the artist incorporated everyday items (aka other people’s castoffs) into his buildings.In the foreground is a rendering of The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Mobile, AL. In the background, the crags of rocks are filled with other buildings from the hands and mind of Brother Joe.
How many hundreds or thousands of hours were spent planning and constructing this replica of St. Peter’s Church of Rome?This shady alcove is adorned with replicas of missions and other houses of worship.Cement was used to attach the stalactites to this tiny grotto scene.Adults and children alike delight in the interpretation of the story of Noah’s ArkAn accident left Joseph Zoettl maimed, which kept him from taking his vows as a priest. But Brother Joe served his religious order and the secular community, providing both with an inspirational shrine. This statue pays tribute to the tiny man with the huge heart.
What if your life flashed before your eyes? Would you be content with what your saw? I've experienced that epiphany, and it wasn't pleasant. So I began the journey to change. I am now "The Adventurous Spinster." No, I'm not a super hero, just an everyday woman with the super power of curiosity. I always wonder, "What if I did...," or "I wonder how..."
I never knew what I wanted to "be" when I grew up, but I knew what I didn't want to be: bored or boring. Besides, my curiosity about people and places was so strong. I craved the exotic, the bizarre, the grotesque, the fun, the thrill--anything outside the humdrum of the norm.
I didn't follow the path of my peers. For one, I never married and never had children. And I have no regrets about my decisions. I realize I have left myself open to do what I please. That, in itself, is a tremendous freedom.
I like to live each day as if it was my last. Sometimes it means cloaking myself in solitude, enjoying an invigorating yoga flow, then reading a great book in my hammock. Other days, life offers me a great nature hike or an urban excursion. But I open my eyes each day with gratitude and revel in the newness and adventure that the next 24 hours brings. I always leave room to satisfy my curiosity. That is what makes me The Adventurous Spinster.
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