750 years of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Lausanne
30 October 2025
Several master builders oversaw the construction of Lausanne Cathedral until the mid-13th century. Bishop Landry de Durnes initiated the building around 1170.
Collection: Musée Historique Lausanne
Construction began with the Romanesque apse, but the rest of the monument quickly adopted a Gothic architectural style and was completed around 1235, with the painted portal on the south front. On 20 October 1275, the cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gregory X (1210-1276) in the presence of Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg (1218-1291).
The first phase of the cathedral’s construction began in 1173 with the Romanesque apse. Twenty years later, the second master builder corrected the building’s orientation, altered its architectural composition, and, by 1215, had built the church as we know it today. The third master builder continued work on the west side and built the westwork, with a porch and two towers: one of which supports the bell tower, while the other was never completed.
The painted portal is an example of an original design, both in terms of architecture, iconography, and polychromy. It illustrates a complex programme. The general theme is the evocation of the mystery of the Incarnation and the Intercession of the Virgin Mary in the context of the pilgrimage to Our Lady.
The painted portal on the south front was completed between 1225 and 1235. Two parts of the original architectural ensemble, the former cloister and the passageway of the large bay, are no longer preserved today. They gradually fell into disrepair and were destroyed in the 17th century.
Château Saint-Marie, Residence of the bishop from 1430 until the Reformation
After the Reformation
Following the Reformation in 1536, several restorations were undertaken. One of the most important was implemented in the second half of the 19th century by French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814–1879). The last cycle of restoration began in 1968 with the north choir tower.
Image: Lausanne Cathedral
(Source and further information: Cathédrale de Lausanne)
Collection: Musée Historique Lausanne