Description of the attraction
In the heart of Lausanne, on the always lively St. Francis Square, not far from the shopping arcade, there is a church dedicated to St. Francis. It was erected by monks from the Franciscan order on the territory of their monastery. The appearance of the church is dated to 1272. Then the monastery was located at the southern city wall.
Unfortunately, very few interior elements of that time have survived to this day. Now this church is Protestant, and adherents of this religion do not welcome the decoration of places intended for prayer and communication with God. In the Middle Ages, however, the temple was the center of the monastery complex, reliably hidden behind the city walls.
In 1368, the whole city was engulfed in flames, and the church and the monastery did not escape the sad fate. However, the damage was not fatal and the building was rebuilt in a short period of time. Some well-to-do families provided donations for the restoration of the frescoes and the chapel. At the same time, a new extension in the form of a clock tower appeared near the church.
Today, only the church remains - the monastery was closed by reformers. The monastery church became the parish church of the Lower City and is devoid of almost all decorations. In 1664, John Lyle, a fugitive judge who sent the English king Charles I to the execution, was killed here. Supporters of the late monarch dealt with him.
Later, the monastery buildings were gradually destroyed. The remains of the ruins were removed at the end of the 19th century.
A distinctive feature of the interior of the church is the design of its vaults - the columns divide the nave into five sectors. It is believed that in the XIV century, the choirs divided the interior of the church into two separate parts: one could contain the monks of the monastery, in the other - the parishioners.
