Vincenzo Vela, Realism and the Risorgimento
9 May 2023
Available in Dutch and German
German and French Allies of the Ancient Confederation
8 May 2023
Under preparation. Available in Dutch, French and German
The Enclaves of Switzerland
24 April 2023
The borders of cantons in Switzerland have a patchwork pattern. If, for example, you take a ride by car or bike south of Lac Morat/Murtensee, you find yourself alternately in the cantons of Vaud, Fribourg or Bern. Even in other regions, the boundaries of the cantons are often erratic. The origins of these borders date … Read more » “The Enclaves of Switzerland”
Santa Maria dei Frati Cappuccini monastery in Bigorio
24 April 2023
Founded in 1535, the Santa Maria dei Frati Cappuccini monastery in Bigorio (canton of Ticino/Tessin) was the first Capuchin monastery in Switzerland. Its founders were the Cappucciners Pacifico Carli from Lugano and Ludovico Filicaia from Florence. A Romanesque chapel from the 11th century already stood on the site of the monastery. It is no coincidence … Read more » “Santa Maria dei Frati Cappuccini monastery in Bigorio”
The Romanisation in Switzerland
3 April 2023
Available in French, German and Dutch
St. Moritz, Bridge, Nature and Culture
9 February 2023
The mineral springs in the Upper Engadine have been famous for centuries. The Romans and, before them, the Räthian tribes and their predecessors were already aware of the healing effects. Moreover, the spring church of St. Mauritius (St. Moritz, St. Murezzan in Romansh) was already a popular place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, especially … Read more » “St. Moritz, Bridge, Nature and Culture”
The bishop’s court in Chur and the Dance of Death
23 January 2023
The bishop’s court in Chur (Canton Graubünden) comprises the Palace, the Cathedral of St. Mary’s Assumption (St. Maria Himmelfahrt), and the residences for the chapter. A Part of the bishop’s Palace is used by the Domschatz Museum today. The other part is being renovated and will be opened to the public. The Obere Spaniöl, 17th … Read more » “The bishop’s court in Chur and the Dance of Death”
Geneva and the Wall of Reformers
23 January 2023
The Wall (Le Mur des Réformateurs, Monument international de la Réformation) of a hundred metres was built in 1909 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Jean Cauvin (1509-1564), better known as Jean Calvin. Calvin fled from France in 1535 to the relatively tolerant city of Basel, the hometown of Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536). … Read more » “Geneva and the Wall of Reformers”
The Rhine Source Lighthouse
3 December 2022
No mountain is too high for Swiss people, but what about the lighthouse on the Oberalp Pass at an altitude of 2,046 meters? The Rhine Lighthouse is an hour’s walk from the source of the Rhine. The Gotthard massif is the source of four rivers: the Rhine, Reuss, Rhone and Ticino, flowing to all four … Read more » “The Rhine Source Lighthouse”
The Romandy, Latin, French and Patois
22 November 2022
Today, French is the official written and spoken language in French-speaking Switzerland (the French-speaking cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura, Geneva, and Vaud) and the bilingual cantons of Freiburg/Fribourg, Wallis/Valais and Bern/Berne. However, behind this modern linguistic unity lies a great diversity. French, which gradually entered Switzerland after the 11th and 12th centuries, competed for centuries … Read more » “The Romandy, Latin, French and Patois”