Highlights in Geneva

Genevan Christians trace their faith back to 4th-century Roman times: A Christian church was located near the site of the modern day St. Peter's Cathedral in 350 AD and written records indicate that a Bishop Isaac prevailed over the diocese in 400 AD. Ruins of this ancient church and its 11th-century successor were unearthed in the 1970s and are open to the public today.

Geneva

Genevan Christians trace their faith back to 4th-century Roman times: A Christian church was located near the site of the modern day St. Peter's Cathedral in 350 AD and written records indicate that a Bishop Isaac prevailed over the diocese in 400 AD. Ruins of this ancient church and its 11th-century successor were unearthed in the 1970s and are open to the public today.

This archaeological site and its affiliated buildings, known collectively as the Espace St-Pierre, mark Geneva's religious core throughout the Middle Ages. Between 1150 and 1260 the Gothic Cathédrale St-Pierre was completed, and over the centuries countless restorations and additions followed. Adjacent to the cathedral, the small chapel called Notre-Dame-la-Neuve (the New Our Lady's Church) grew in size and prominence over the same time period. Originally erected in the 5th century as the private chapel of the bishop, the small church underwent enlargements in the 11th and 15th centuries until it gained its modern appearance.

St. Peter's Cathedral was stripped of its interior ornamentation, and Our Lady's Church became known as Calvin Auditorium during the 16th century, when Geneva played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation. It was a Genevan minister, William Farel, that prevailed upon a young French priest, John Calvin, to relocate to Geneva to organize the new Reformed Church. When coaxing didn't work, Farel resorted to a curse: "If you do not help in this work of the Lord, the Lord will punish you for seeking your own interest rather than His." The curse worked. With the exception of an 18-month exile to Strasbourg in 1538, Calvin remained until his death in 1564, never wavering from his belief that God had called him to work in Geneva.

Calvin became the Reformation's most influential proponent after Martin Luther. But he was by no means alone. Geneva was full of Reformation fervor and ready to evangelize the world. Great teachers and preachers from across Europe brought their talents to the effort and shared their principles with the world: John Knox, who brought Protestantism to Scotland; Pierre Viret, leader of Reform movements in Lausanne and France; Heinrich Bullinger, Zwingli's successor in Zürich and influencer of the English Reformation; and Theodore Beza, Calvin's successor and first rector of Calvin College. The college became the incubator of European Calvinism, instructing hundreds of young men in Protestant theology, who in turn served as pastors and teachers throughout Europe and the world.

Geneva continues its role as a leader among Reformed Churches as the headquarters of the World Council of Reformed Churches. The city also serves as a center of ecumenical religious thought, serving as base for the World Council of Churches.

Lausanne

Although Lausanne's Christian history stretches back over a millennium-there is some evidence that the city became a bishopric in the 7th century'it is the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame that attracts the attention of religious travelers. Begun in 1190, the cathedral wasn't completed until nearly 100 years later. Four to five architects worked continuously on the building, intended from its inception to be the largest Gothic building in Europe. Unfortunately, construction was limited to 97 meters (318 feet) because of its cliff-top constraints.

Gothic architecture became the European architectural style of choice from the 12th-15th centuries, based in part on the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius, a Christian philosopher who emphasized the spiritual qualities of space and light. The style emphasizes verticality, bridging the span between heaven and earth with soaring ribbed vaults and sharply pointed arches and spires. Inside, a light, airy interior is made possible with large glass windows and exterior flying buttresses. Lausanne Cathedral incorporates all of these Gothic elements, and is the largest Gothic monument in Switzerland.

The cathedral boasts two unique holdovers from its medieval beginnings. Its rose window incorporates 78 original, 13th-century glass pieces, and the church's tower is still manned by a night watchman. The traditional town sentinel, unheard of elsewhere in Europe, remains in Lausanne, calling out by voice every hour from 10p-2a in French the equivalent of, "This is the night watchman, all is well." These medieval vestiges contrast with the church's organ, built by American manufacturing firm CB Fisk and installed in 2003. It is the largest organ in Switzerland with 7000 pipes.

Lausanne was brought into the Reformation in 1536, in part due to the military expansion of Bern, and in part due to a public debate staged by the Genevan Reformers. Genevans Calvin, Viret and Farel were instrumental in winning the fiery disputation with the Catholic leadership, and shortly thereafter Lausanne converted to Protestantism.

Romainmôtier

Switzerland's oldest monastery enjoys a rich and active history in the peaceful Lake Geneva Region. Romainmôtier was founded in 450 AD by two monks from the Jura region. Over the centuries the monastery changed religious affiliations, first coming under the influence of the Irish Peregrini of St. Columban's rule in 630, and later reinvigorated by the Cluny order in the latter half of the 10th century. The Clunisian era marked the golden age of Romainmôtier, resulting in the construction of cloisters and embellishment of the sanctuary with 13th-century religious frescoes still visible today. This prosperous era was highlighted by the royal wedding of Philibert of Savoyen and Marguerite of Austria on December 31, 1501. All the crowned heads of Europe attended.

Just 35 years later, in 1536, the tide turned drastically for Romainmôtier with the military conquest of the Bernese and the spread of the Reformation. Cloisters were secularized, religious artworks were destroyed and the church converted to Protestant worship.

Since the 1970s Romainmôtier has experienced a new ecumenical life. Daily noon prayer and song services incorporate both Catholic and Protestant practices, respecting the beliefs of both traditions and continuing a spiritual history that spans over 1500 years.