Ave Maria Grotto, the four-acre park , located in Cullman of Alabama, includes 125 miniature reproductions of the most important Catholic buildings, churches and shrines.
Also known as “Jerusalem in Miniature”, this miniature fairyland was built by Joseph Zoettl (1878-1961), a Benedictine Monk and includes Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, St. Peter’s, the Statue of Liberty and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Joseph Zoettl spent 50 years (crafting cement, stones and junk into a miniature city of the world’s most important religious structures. People from many foreign countries, impressed by his previous works, were sending him materials as colored glass, marbles, cold cream jars, punctured commode floats, wrecked marble, broken bathroom tile, costume jewelry, gifts.
Zoettl had never seen most of the buildings he built and relied only on postcard images.
The Grotto operates by St. Bernard Abbey and is open to the public.
1 comment
Nice. Never been to Cullman. Shame retrospectively. 🙂
(Went to Chattanooga, Tennessee though…)
Have a lovely week and Roll Tide!