The chapel and subsequent St Kolumban church in Andermatt originates from the time when the Ursern Valley belonged to the domain of the Disentis Benedictine monastery, and was a gift by the monastery to the settlement next to the present-day barracks.
The late Romanesque church has an unrendered façade with natural stone masonry. The church tower slightly leans over. The building remained virtually unchanged from the 17th century onwards. However, its location on the slope meant that construction measures were repeatedly necessary.
St Kolumban was the parish church for the entire Ursern Valley until the new parish church of St Peter and Paul in the village centre of Andermatt was completed in 1606. Subsequently, St Kolumban became the «valley church» – which gave its local part of Andermatt the name «Altkirch» (old church).
