This section contains an overview of the most relevant monuments in Switzerland.
26 October 2022
Israeli archaeologists have discovered graffiti from Adrian von Bubenberg (1424-1479) in Jerusalem. He visited the Holy Land on a pilgrimage in 1466. His name, with an image of his heraldry, was found on a wall of the complex of King David’s tomb on Mount Zion, near the ancient city. The building was a monastery and … Read more » “A Berner in Jerusalem”
28 September 2022
The history of Saint-Gervais is related to the ancient presence of the first bridges over the Rhone, built in Roman times. This strategic place, mentioned by Caesar in 58 BC in his de Bello Gallico, remained a crucial crossing point for travel from (southern) France to the Swiss plateau and beyond until the 18th century. Geneva … Read more » “The Saint-Gervais of Geneva”
26 September 2022
Available in French and Dutch
21 September 2022
Available in French and Dutch
20 September 2022
Available in French, German and Dutch
14 September 2022
Available in German, Dutch and French
27 August 2022
Traces of settlement in the Spiez area (Canton of Bern) date back to the prehistoric period. There are also traces of a Celtic settlement. It is assumed that the area of the castle was already occupied and fortified by the German-speaking Alemanni in the 7th century. Spiez was first mentioned in the last will of … Read more » “Spiez Castle”
27 August 2022
The small monastery in Mollens (canton of Vaud) was added to Romainmôtier, a monastery of Cluny, in 1137. The monks of Romainmôtier administered the monastery’s domain for almost two centuries. The lords of Aubonne then owned the village until the 16th century. From 1536 and the conquest of Le Pays de Vaud, Bern ruled the … Read more » “The Monastery of Mollens and Cluny”
18 July 2022
A 22-year-old Swiss man tried to kill Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) in November 1938. Maurice Bavaud (1916-1941) was born in Neuchâtel. After prematurely leaving the seminary of the Congrégation du Saint-Esprit in France, where he had wanted to become a priest, he returned to Switzerland in 1938. Maurice Bavaud (1916-1941). Photo: Wikipedia Although a deeply devout … Read more » “The Swiss Hero Maurice Bavaud”
11 July 2022
The word “Joux” comes from the Latin “Iuria”, meaning “mountain forest”, and the Celtic word “Jor” for “wooded hill”. Jura or Joux, therefore, originally means a large forested area. The Château de Joux is an emblematic monument of Franche-Comté (France). The castle is located 5 km from Pontarlier and 15 km from the Swiss border. The castle is strategically … Read more » “Joux Castle”
