Arzier, l´ancienne chartreuse Notre-Dame d´Oujon.

The first Carthusian Monastery in Switzerland

Switzerland is not only the land of the reformers Johannes Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Guillaume Farel, and Johannes Oekolampad. This region had many monasteries of the various monastic orders until the Reformation.

Although most monasteries were abolished just after the Reformation (first half of the 16th century) or in the following centuries and sometimes disappeared completely, there are still functioning monasteries, St Johann in St Müstair (Canton of Graubünden), Mariastein (Canton of Solothurn), Bigorio (Canton of Tessin), Einsiedeln (Canton of Schwyz) or Maria-Rickenbach (Canton of Nidwalden) are just a few examples.

One of the country’s least-known monasteries was dissolved centuries ago, and only the foundations of the large complex are still recognisable. The Carthusian monastery Notre-Dame d´Oujon at Arzier (Canton of Vaud) near Nyon was founded in 1146 by Louis, Lord of Mont (near Rolle). It was the first Carthusian monastery in the territory of present-day Switzerland. The Order of Carthusians (Chartreuse) was founded in France in 1084.

The intention of its founder, Bruno of Cologne or Saint Bruno, was to return to the principles of the true faith, far away from worldly temptations. At the time, this monastery was also built far away from the inhabited world at an altitude of 1050 meters in the mountains of the Jura.

The monks cultivated the area in the shortest possible time. This monastery also acquired much land and other property until its dissolution in 1536. However, the occupation of the Pays du Vaud by Protestant Bern in 1536 marked the end of almost four centuries of monastic history.

The monastery was abandoned after 1537. However, the ruins give an impression of the size of the complex. The contours of the specific architectural features of Carthusian monasteries are also visible. There are also ruins and foundations of other monastery buildings in the vicinity.

(Source: L. Auberson, L´ancienne chartreuse Notre-Dame d´Oujon, Bern, GSK, 1995)