Author: Maarten Koning

Calanca Biennale 2021

The concept of Calanca Biennale 2021 aims to present the valley through contemporary art. At the same time, Calanca Biennale raises an ecological message.

The Biennale consists of two parts. Around 220 artists from all over the world present graphic illustrations of “the crocodile” in an international contest. The contemporary artwork shows the Valley by its stone: the granite GNEISS.

The project by the architect Davide Macullo (1965) consists of 32 granite blocks from the stone quarry Alfredo Polti SA.

This work represents the tectonic plates that connect Europe to Africa and hold each other like a sandwich. In geological terms, this is called “crocodile jaw”.

The visual artist Adria Nabekle created and developed the project and is the curator.

Source and further information: www.calancabiennale.com

The Grande Cariçaie

The Grande Cariçaie covers the entire southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel (45 km). It is home to over 800 plant species and more than 10,000 animal species, i.e. about a quarter of Switzerland’s flora and fauna.

The Latin name Carex (sedge) can be traced back to the Latin word carectum, which refers to an area covered with sedges. The Grande Cariçaie is, therefore, a large area covered with sedges.

The area comprises eight nature reserves in Vaud, Fribourg, and Neuchâtel, covering almost 3,000 hectares and spanning 45 kilometres in length. The diversity of nature, including its flora and fauna, as well as the number of animal and plant populations, has made Grande Cariçaie famous far beyond the borders of Switzerland.

It is also part of the Ramsar network, an international convention established in 1971 to protect migratory birds. The area features many hiking and cycling trails, as well as several information centres.

(Source and further information: www.grande-caricaie.ch).

Nicolas G. Hayek and Swatch

The Swatch watch is almost forty years old. The watch was launched in 1983 as the first quartz watch. It marks the transition from mechanical watches to electronic models.

The introduction was at the height of the crisis in the watch sector. Competition from Japan led to a major crisis in this sector between 1970 and 1984. 60,000 workers out of 90,000 lost their jobs, and only 632 companies remained out of 1600.

Although the first electronic watch was invented in 1967 in Neuchâtel, Japan was the major producer in the 1970s. But then came the new revolutionary watch from Grenchen (canton of Solothurn). Although much less well known than La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, St. Imier and Biel, this city gave birth to Swatch.

First, the watch was called Second Watch, then the Swiss Watch, S-Watch and Swatch. The great man was Nicolas G. Hayek (1928-2010).

Grenchen honours this Hercules of the Swiss watch industry. In Roman times, Grenchen was known as Granum, meaning corn. From the 14th century, Bern and Solothurn were the most relevant cantons for the city. The watch industry began in 1851 and remains the most significant economic activity.

Source: www.grenchen.ch

Auvernier Castle

The castle was built in 1559 by Blaise Junod, tax collector of the Seigneurie of Valangin. At that time, the county of Neuchâtel belonged to the (royal) French family d’Orléans-Longueville. The county was, therefore, a principality.

Unsurprisingly, the new owner, Jean-Jacques Tribolet, served in the army of Henri de Navarre, later Henri IV, King of France. His successor, Pierre Chambrier, Councillor of State of the County of Neuchâtel, expanded the castle after 1603. The entrance gate dates back to 1740.

Wine growing was the main economic activity of the estate, which remains in private ownership today. The lords of the castle had an impressive record of military service: for the French King, Savoy and the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, governor of the principality of Neuchâtel, chamberlains of the King of Prussia (Prince of Neuchâtel from 1707 to 1857), friends of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and councils of state of the principality.

Cossinus, Cossonus or Cossonay

Cossonay (canton of Vaud) is derived from the Gallo-Roman name Cossinus or Cossonus. In the Middle Ages, it became Cossinacum or Cossonacum.

The first document with the name Cossonay dates from 1096. Uldric of Cossonay donated his goods in Cossonay to the Romainmôtier convent.

In 1405, the dynasty of the Lords of Cossonay came to an end, and the Dukes of Savoy took control of the town. In 1536, Bern conquered the city and ruled it until 1798.

This city has many interesting sights: the church of St. Pierre (the first building dates back to the 8th century), the castle, the Prieuré from the 11th century, medieval city walls and towers (including the Porte de Morges) and streets (including the Ruelle Punaise), the house of the Banneret (16th century) and many other buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Source: www.cossonay.ch

Burial Church Sous-le-Scex

The early Christian burial church (in Sion, canton of Valais) from the fifth century is one of the best preserved in Europe. It was built in the style of a Roman basilica. The church remained in use until the 10th century.

The shape of the church of Sous-le-Scex is a response to the concerns of the Church Fathers who, after accepting Christianity as the religion of the Empire (in 313), wanted Christian sanctuaries to be visually distinct from pagan ones.

Therefore, they decided to base the layout on the Roman basilica, characterised by a large covered hall with an apse. The plan was developed in three building phases: 400-500, 550-600 and around 600 AD.

In its early years, the church functioned as a cemetery, not for liturgical ceremonies. More than 1000 skeletons have been found in about 500 graves. From the 8th century onwards, the church received a liturgical destination.

Source: Sitten (Gemeinde) (hls-dhs-dss.ch)

Zernez, the National Park Centre and the Von Plantas

The possessions of the lords of Tarasp, von Wildenberg and von Frickingen in Zernez date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. These then passed to the bishop of Chur and, in the 14th century, to the Plantas, the most powerful family in Upper Engadine.

The Gotteshausbund was founded in Zernez in 1367. The village was destroyed in 1499 (Swabian or Engadine War) and 1622 (Bündner Wirren).

Zernez joined the Reformation in 1553. Rudolf von Planta (1569-1638) donated the early baroque parish church in 1609. The National Park Centre/Museum was in 1968 in Zernez.

(Source: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland, Zernez, https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/001525/2016-12-14/).

DuPeyrou Palace in Neuchâtel

The DuPeyrou Palace (L’Hôtel DuPeyrou) in Neuchâtel dates back to 1771. It bears the name of its first owner, Pierre-Alexandre DuPeyrou (1729-1794). He was a friend of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), who lived in the Neuchâtel area in 1762.

After the author’s death, he published the first complete edition of his works in Geneva in 1788. In 1790, he published the second part of the “Confessions” in Neuchâtel. He also left numerous manuscripts by Rousseau at the Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de  Neuchâtel (now known as Espace Rousseau Neuchâtel).

Unknown artist, Pierre-Alexandre DuPeyrou. Collection: Bibliothèque publique et universitaire de  Neuchâtel

Pierre-Alexandre DuPeyrou was born in the Dutch colony of Suriname, where his father, Pierre DuPeyrou (1702-1742), a Huguenot from France, served as a councillor at the Court of Justice. When his father died, his mother remarried de Neuchâtelois Philippe de Chambrier (1701-1756). He served in the colonial army of the Seven United Provinces. In 1748, the family moved to Neuchâtel, a Prussian principality, from 1707 (until 1857).

The building stood amid vineyards. The gardens extended to the lake. After the Juragewässerkorrektion (1868-1891), the lake sank several metres, and the dry area became a new residential part of the city.

The building was sold in 1799 to Frédéric de Pourtalès (1779-1861), another typical cosmopolitan Swiss. During the French/Napoleonic era (1798-1813), Marshal Louis-Alexandre Berthier occupied the palace from 1806 to 1813 (1753-1815).

When Frederick William III (1770-1840), King of Prussia, regained the title of Prince of Neuchâtel in 1813 (until 1857), he sold the building to the newly established canton of the Swiss Confederation.

The cantonal government sold it in 1816 to Denis de Rougemont (1759-1839). The city of Neuchâtel finally became the owner in 1858.

(Source and further information: www.dupeyrou.ch).

Auvernier on Lake Neuchâtel

One of the many beautiful villages in Switzerland is located on Lake Neuchâtel. The wine and fishing village of Auvernier was already inhabited around 5000 BC.

When the lake’s water level dropped during the first works of the Juragewässerkorrektion (1868-1891), the remains of stilt houses from the first centuries B.C. were found.

The Bay of Auvernier provides shelter and lends itself well to this purpose. Due to its sheltered location, a marina has also been established.

The name Auvernier first appears in a document from 1011, designated as “Averniacum”. Rudolf III (970-1032), king of the kingdom of Burgundy (888-1032), gave the village to his wife Ermengarde of Neuchâtel.

Winegrowing and fishing have long dominated the village’s economy. The beautiful houses and wine cellars from the 16th and 17th centuries bear witness to this past. They are located on the Grand Rue, which is still the centre of the village.

Today, Auvernier is a commuter village with artists’ and craftsmen’s workshops, as well as a lakeside beach. However, the views, including those of the Alps, are still picturesque, from the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and sometimes the Mont Blanc.

The Town Hall of Neuchâtel

The town hall (Hôtel de Ville) was built between 1784 and 1790 thanks to the fortune of David de Pury (1709-1786). The building was inaugurated in 1790. It was the project of superlatives for a city of 4,000 inhabitants.

The building was designed by architect Pierre-Adrien Paris (1745-1819); the quality of the materials and the brilliant solutions provided by craftsmen from all over Europe astounded the building committee, which was already worried about meeting the budget and deadlines.

This monumental building shows the city’s ambition. As of 1 January 2021, the town of 45,000 inhabitants will become the largest in the canton following the merger with Peseux, Cormondrèche/Corcelles, and Valangin.

Neuchâtel became the third-largest city in French-speaking Switzerland (the Romandie) and the eleventh-largest city in Switzerland. The town hall of 1790 was thus a visionary project.

(Source: www.gsk.ch).