Romanesque churches in

Autor(en): Ney, Marcel

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1973)

Heft 1674

PDF erstellt am: 06.10.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-691471

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http://www.e-periodica.ch RomanesqueChurches in Switzerland

At no time has Switzerland. been In order to facilitate a visit to these awkward, a combination not without famous for rich art treasures. With very churches, we have compiled a plan for a charm. In addition, the whole interior is few exceptions, there are neither circular tour. This should lead the lovers plunged in a mystic semi-darkness. important medieval cathedrals, nor castles of the arts amongst our readers to the In the Vaudois Jura we find quite a and town halls. There are practically no most interesting small Romanesque few Romanesque churches: Bretonnières, Renaissance riches. At that epoch, churches and chapels. Bavois, Cossonay and others, partly Switzerland was far too poor and torn by reconstructed at a later date, as well as interior disorders to the famous all: produce significant Western Switzerland most of Romamwôner, works of art. The same can be said for the perfectly situated in a wooded valley. The seventeenth and eighteenth century. Let us begin the trip in the Jura, porch and the beautiful chancel pulpit are If we consider the Romanesque coming from Basle. It is well worth justifiably famous. In spite of the churches in Switzerland worthy of special making a small detour by the fine route considerable art treasures within the mention, it is less for their size or their of Les Rangiers to St. t/rsanne. In this church, it has not become a museum, but embellishments, but more for their townlet, cradled in the narrow valley of has remained a place of worship in picturesque positions in the Swiss the Doubs, we shall discover a beautiful daily life. On the shores of the Lake of mountainside and their expression of Romanesque collegiate church of the Geneva, not far from Lausanne, the aged humility which corresponds to the deep twelfth century. There are impressive monastery church of St. SWp/ce has its and simple, almost naive faith held at the cloisters and the remains of a monastery reflection on the water. Unfortunately, period of erection. This is evident above erected on the tomb of St. Ursicinus. the nave collapsed in the fifteenth all in the smaller places of worship. Thus Church and cloisters have recently been century, so all that remains is the in this essay we deliberately leave aside renovated with great ability and intersection on which a rather squat the few larger Romanesque church discretion. The South door alone deserves watchtower was put up, and three buildings such as the Fraumünster in at least two stars in any art guide. It semi-circular apses. Zurich, the Abbey at Payerne and the shows remains of the original bright Unfortunately the Basilica of Sr. Cathedrals in Basle and Schaffhausen and colouring. Maurice which must have been one of the shall concentrate on the modest churches Travelling along the vineyards on largest early church buildings of providing such expressive evidence of true the shores of the lakes of Bienne and Switzerland, was moved to a safer place veneration. Neuchâtel, we find a Romanesque church in the seventeenth century, for it was In the construction of these tower at Twann, a fine Romanesque threatened again and again by falling churches, local stone was used and mostly chancel in the collegiate church in rocks from the stone walls in the narrow slates to cover the roofs. The same Neuchâtel, a fine portal, the only remains valley. A few remains of the walls and the simplicity is also found inside. There are of a Cluniasian monastery, at Bevaix.The imposing tower is all that remains of the no marble sculptures or mosaics on gold first wholly preserved Romanesque old place of worship. The importance of as one finds in Italy of the same era. One church, however, we find again at the old church is shown above all in the might possibly find some frescoes, but Grancfso«, the old townlet known from church treasures which contain some even these are of touching primordiality, the Burgundian Wars. Small though it is, valuables of European repute, amongst even awkwardness. the old monastery church of St. Jean is them the gold jug of Charles the Great. It widely and rightly known for its capitals. is covered in oriental enamel work and is Pillars and arches are as elegant as considered the most precious piece of art sculptures and ornaments are nafve and of Romanesque times. CONTENTS

Sports — preparation for St Moritz 5

Problems regarding voluntary AVS 6 St-Ursanne

Solidarity Fund for the Swiss Abroad 7 Ufenau

Official Communications 8 Grandson Youth Service — Ski Camp 1974 Young Swiss from abroad in 12 Romainmôtier

Switzerland from day to day 13 Gtornico

a 14 Dimitri, poetical clown .ocarno Sion/\jflère News from the Colony 15 St-Maurice

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Those who want to turn South Ticino depended on the Bishopric of rarity — and presents itself today already at Martigny, will find a specially , which developed great activities in completely in its original form. lovely church tower at Bourg-St. Pierre, what is Southern Switzerland today. In the capital of the Ticino, the road to the Great St. Bernard Pass, 5e//z'«zo«a, we must visit the beautiful on Shortly after Quinto we reach Prato shortly before the entrance to the motor Basilica San Biagio which used to belong whose church of St. George also boasts a tunnel. is of the oldest to the site of the Castello grande. As a It one magnificent belfry. A little further down towers Swiss Romanesque church, it is of rather Romanesque on territory. the valley, at Chiggiogna, we find one of Those the who wish Its beautiful arches of participants the earliest churches of the Ticino, which generous proportions. to continue with us on round will and the rectangular chancel give a hint of our tour, has been preserved almost untouched to 5/. Rz'ezre-c/e-C/ages, in the midst of the Gothic spirit for all their Romanesque get throughout the centuries. the classical Rhone Valley with its rich forms. The medieval orchards, poplar-lined roads and sunny settlement of The former parish church of San Gzor«z'co presents us with one of the vineyards on steep mountainsides. The Vittore in Locarno has a magnificent The chur.ch church there is pure in style and has been highlights of our journey. of Lombardian façade The three naves with San Nicolao is probably the most classical preserved in its whole originality. The their semi-circular apses, the elevated example of a small Romanesque place of impressive octagonal tower is crowned chancel and the dusky crypt are most worship. Built on a meadow with a shingle roof. green impressive. San Vittore was erected on between tall mountainsides, this church The capital of the Valais, 5zo«, the foundation walls of a Roman temple. enchants us by its simplicity and its noble gives us three Romanesque churches. The At the moment, comprehensive research proportions which makes us overlook the impression of their beauty is heightened is being made into its origins. On this small size. Everything is simple and by the unique skyline of the town with occasion, significant remains of frescoes original, but full of purity. The crypt the three hills towering above it. The of the twelfth century were found. The below the elevated chancel is particularly massive belfry of the Cathedral of beautiful belfry dates from a later period impressive. An once said that San Notre-Dame-du-Glarier is a classical expert but matches the rest of the building Nicolao corresponded to a petrified example of Romanesque architecture. On extremely well. It has been established on Gregorian chorus. each floor, the rows of windows increase many occasions that the Swiss mountain by yet another opening. The church of In 5/asca we find a further example landscape forms an impressive Valeria dominates the town by its of untouched Romanesque architecture background for Romanesque church position on a cone-shaped rock. With its in the church of St. Peter. The small buildings. Here in Locarno we realise that enclosing walls and towers it forms the building on a promontory looks like its subtropical vegetation in hotel and counterpart to Castle Tourbillon and climbing up the slope. In the interior, residence gardens also makes an excellent looks far more like a fortress than a place several stairways gradually lead to the setting. of worship. Valeria still houses precious chancel. To reach our next stage, the church treasures and some rare pieces of Now we have arrived at the Grisons, we have two possibilities. One of furniture from times. The Romanesque southernmost corner of the Ticino valley. them is the San Bernardino route. third example of Romanesque Romanesque churches, or at least their Afesocco, the main place of the valley, is architecture in Sion is the All Saints' towers, have been preserved on the right overlooked by the imposing ruins of a Chapel at the foot of the Valeria hill. and left banks of the river, amongst castle and a Romanesque church whose others at , Lodrino and . remains a Southern Switzerland give good impression of its Az-ftec/o, remembered from History by its original beauty. At the foot of the castle On the new Nufenen Pass road we bloody battle between the Con- approaches, there is a second change over to the Canton of Ticino, federates and the Milanese in 1422, Romanesque church which has survived particularly rich in Romanesque deserves a visit on account of the church untouched by the passage of centuries. The churches. Already in the first village, of San Paolo, known also as c/zz'esa rossa. other possibility is the Blenio Valley, A/ro/o, we find a beautiful belfry from This Lombardian structure was renovated which enables us to visit San Martino at the twelfth century. At that time, the most cleverly in 1900 —rather a Afa/vag/z'a with its fine belfry, probably

3 find some of the more important monuments of the Romanesque period, above all the church San Gian near Ce/enzza, beautifully situated on a small hill and the midst of the larch woods which change colour to a deep gold every autumn. The tall spire is partly in ruins due to lightning which struck it about 300 years ago. The former parish churches of Pontresina and Samedan are equally worth seeing; both are still used today for funeral services. We now make a short excursion into the idyllic small Fex Valley where, at Crasta, we find a veritable small jewel of a Romanesque chapel. A further trip leads us to the Puschlav where, at Poschiavo, the church of St. Victor still has its magnificent original tower of the twelfth century. We go on and up to the small church of San Rumedi high above the blue lake of La Prese, one of the most churches in the impressive Romanesque 77ze pz-e-Rozzzazzesgrze cftzzzrft o/ST Retez-, circle centre of a superb of peaks. af Mz'sftzz'/ z'zz tfte GTz'sozzs. The last stage in our journey in the Grisons takes Santa Maria in the 77ze cftawizzzg sma// cftzezrft oz-z rfte Me o/ us to Münstertal. The of Romanesque tT/ezzzzzz near Zzmc/z. group chapels, the two cloisters of the eleventh buildings of the Benedictine monastery century and the old refectory are truly founded less than Charles the by none unique. one of the highest of that period, as well Great, is something unique. Anyone On our way back from this remote as the uniquely situated church of interested in Romanesque Switzerland valley of Switzerland we make a short Negz-ezzfzzzo. the last should visit Santa is in In spite of climb on Maria, even if it break in Chur. The cathedral of this old foot in order to reach the church, we find the most remote corner of the country. It town, rising on the ledge of a hill above it The is is thanks to its isolated that the fascinating. building itself position the picturesque roofs and pinnacles, is and fits whole has remained and extremely simple most aptly into complex pure one of the most imposing cathedrals of the beautiful The untouched. The church dates back to the scenery. interior the late Romanesque period. The chancel contains superb frescoes which have a eighth and is therefore rather century, is elevated considerably and stands at a Byzantine touch, and this in the midst of pre-Romanesque. Its interior is com- slight angle to the rest of the church. the Swiss mountainside! the The three its Going up to pletely painted. apses, This makes the perspectives even more Lukmanier Pass the the its the we proceed past frescoes, statue of founder, interesting. The main nave is unusually church proud Romanesque tower of wide which gives the impression of O/zVozze. squareness characteristic of the first Christian churches. This as well as the The Grisons irregularities in the construction makes If one has sufficient time at one's this cathedral resemble the small disposal, one should travel right up to mountain churches we visited earlier. Sedrun with its artistic Romanesque Coming from the Grisons, we travel belfry which, as is usual with Italian along the shores of the Lake of Zurich, churches, stands apart. In the picturesque and soon we see the small isle of [//ezzazz. Dom/esc/zg rich in castles, we find It pays to sail across, for there we find well-preserved Romanesque chapels at one of the most pleasing Romanesque Dusch, Paspels and Cazis. If one is churches of all, as well as the chapel of the somewhat in a hurry, one will travel same origin. straight to Thusis and from there through Elaving crossed the Brünig Pass, we the wild Via Mala Gorge. At its end where get to the Lake of Brienz where we find the valley widens, we reach one of the several small churches whose foundation highlights of our journey, the church of walls go back to Romanesque times. In St. Martin at ZzVft's. This place of worship the neighbourhood of Spiez and Thun, has kept a unique Romanesque there are several Romanesque churches adornment: a wooden ceiling with 163 mostly intact. The four of them, at Spz'ez, squares of which only 13 have been Rz'zzzgezz, Scftezzftgezz azzd Azrao/eft'zzgezz, renewed. The rarity of this treasure is are simple buildings with no special heightened by the isolated position of embellishments, but of pure style and Zillis between two ravines. perfect proportions. In addition, they Back at Thusis, we take the way blend beautifully into the landscape and back to the Engadine. High above the thus have a more peaceful atmosphere Albula Gorge, we must not miss the than many a large place of worship. ancient church of St. Peters at Aft'sZazY. Its North of Berne we reach our last position half-way between the deep and objective on the hillsides of the Frienis- narrow valley and the sky endows it with berg: a small church in the village of the something majestic in spite of its same name. It dates back to the twelfth smallness. Its outline corresponds century when it was part of a monastery. completely to the first Christian churches From there, one enjoys a fine view of the of the Orient. St. Peter's belongs to the Jura mountain ridges. That is where we very oldest churches in the Swiss began our journey and where we end it. mountains. In the Engadine, we again Sazz CzzzVo eft Wegz-ezzfz'zzo Mzzre/ ATy

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