This section contains an overview of the most relevant monuments in Switzerland.
13 February 2021
The castle of the Counts of Gruyère was entangled in the disputes between Savoy, Burgundy, Bern and Freiburg in the fifteenth century. Gruyère was a vassal of Savoy, but Gruyère chose the side of Bern and Freiburg in 1475 (during the wars against Burgundy). Freiburg became the new owner after the bankruptcy of the last … Read more » “Gruyère Castle”
12 February 2021
The first chapel of Notre-Dame du Pont in Monthey (canton of Valais/Valais) was Monthey (canton of Valais) is located on the right bank of the Vièze. The chapel withstood the floods of 1726. Only the foundation was affected. On the west facade is the following inscription: The river Vièze overflowed its banks on 6 July … Read more » “The Notre-Dame du Pont in Monthey”
11 February 2021
The first stone church in Champéry dates from 1725. It replaced the chapel dedicated to Saint Theodule, the patron saint of the diocese of Sion (Sitten). The church was renovated in 1857 and 1898, but demolished in 1966 and rebuilt twenty metres further. However, the Baroque church tower (1725) still exists and is a monument … Read more » “The Church Tower of Champéry”
10 February 2021
Pully’s wine-growing tradition flourished in the Middle Ages. The best grapes grew on the domain of the priory (Le Prieuré). The Cluniac abbey of Payerne owned the priory. The kings of Burgundy (Kingdom of Burgundy 888-1032) donated the priory to Payerne Abbey in the 10th century. The kings were crowned in Payerne. The area has … Read more » “The Priory of Pully”
9 February 2021
The Abbey of Cluny is never far away in Switzerland. A large farmhouse in Bevaix (canton of Neuchâtel) was a centuries-old abbey. In 998, Rodolphe III (966-70-1032), the last king of the kingdom of Burgundy, donated the church of St. Peter (Saint-Pierre), ten farms and forty serfs and their families to the abbey of Cluny. … Read more » “Abbey of Bevaix”
2 February 2021
Charles-Joseph de Rivaz (1713-1759), an aristocrat from Valais, built this house (Maison de Rivaz) in 1754 next to the castle, which had been built in 1588. Charles acquired ownership of the castle in 1749. His son, Charles-Emmanuel (1753-1830), bought the in 1826. A garden surrounded the house and the castle without the present-day buildings. The … Read more » “Castle, House of Rivaz, Chapel and Museum in St. Gingolph”
26 January 2021
The Church of St. Etienne in Montcherand (canton Vaud) is situated at the crossroads of three pilgrimage routes: the Way to Santiago de Compostela, the Via Francigena leading from Canterbury to Rome, and the Itinerary of Sites of the Abbey of Cluny. The mural of the church dates from the 12th century. The mural is … Read more » “Saint-Etienne of Montcherand”
19 January 2021
La Sagne (canton of Neuchâtel) in the valley of the same is the birthplace of Daniel Jeanrichard (1665-1741), one of the pioneers of the watch-making industry in the Jura. The church was built in 1526. The village introduced the protestant faith in 1536 without changing the interior of the church. The late Gothic church was … Read more » “La Sagne”
17 January 2021
Augusta Raurica (Augst, Canton Basel-Landschaft) was situated at the crossroads of trade and transportation routes. The Roman colony, founded in 44 BC, was one of the earliest colonies on the left bank of the Rhine. Augusta Raurica around 117 BC. Picture: Museum Augusta Raurica The city developed into a regional centre for trade, industry, and … Read more » “Augusta Raurica and the Domus Romana”
16 January 2021
The monument Strassburger Denkmal) Opposite the train station in Basel (Basel Bahnhof SBB) is a monument dedicated to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. The city belonged to the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation until 1681, but was conquered by Louis XIV (1638-1715) in 1681. The Franche-Comté and the capital Besançon were annexed by … Read more » “The Strasbourg Monument”
