Deciding to live away from what was his home, he headed to Strasbourg, where there was a community of ‘friends of God’, a fraternity that he knew well, and to which his mother introduced him in his younger years. Nicolás did not complete the journey – in fact, he had decided to return to his place of origin – and settled halfway. In this way, from 1467 until his death, he lived in the humble cell (a rustic cabin) that he built himself. The Ranft Valley Chapel would later be built next to it, which gave him the opportunity to attend mass daily and live alone with and for God: it is said that Nicholas did not taste any food for nineteen years except for Eucharist.
Without intending to, Brother Nicolás gained a fame that transcended borders and led thousands – including civil and ecclesiastical authorities – to visit him in search of advice. By 1470, Ranft had already become a pilgrimage site and its sanctuary part of the ‘Camino de Santiago’ (passage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain). The Pope at the time, Paul II, then decided to grant the proper authorizations to welcome the pilgrims.
War should not be an option: everyone loses
In 1477 a confrontation occurred that put at risk the unity achieved between the small states that inhabited the area of Europe geographically governed by the Swiss Alps. The Old Confederation began to dismember following the de facto inclusion of Lucerne in the union. A group of cantons with more rural characteristics rose up against those who supported the ‘new member’, partly because they had not been consulted, partly because they considered that the annexation of this one, like other cantons, strengthened the city centers against of the interests of rural regions – traditionally the heart of Swiss life and culture.