Description of the attraction
Church of St. Maria is located very close to the center of Lucerne. It was built by members of the Franciscan order and incorporated into their monastery, which existed from the 13th century until 1838. In 1838, the monastery was closed. Construction began in 1269 and is one of the oldest churches in the city.
The building is made in the Gothic style, but without high towers and a transept, with an elongated one-nave space ending in an altar. The outlines are dominated by vertical and horizontal lines. In those days, the Gothic style was not yet the main one in architecture, and this is evident from the smooth wall cladding. Over the entire period of its existence, the church has been constantly undergoing restoration, therefore, in its appearance and interior you can find elements of different styles - from Romanesque to Baroque. In the 16th century, the chapel of St. Anthony was rebuilt.
The walls of the central nave are decorated with images of flags. These are copies of the battle banners captured in the Battle of Sempach (1386). Previously, original canvases hung there, but over time they deteriorated and were replaced with images. A marble altar dating from the 13th century adorns the front of the choir. The altar is adorned with a painting by Renward, dated 1736, "Adoration of the Shepherds to the Child". On the ceiling there are frescoes depicting St. Francis of Assisi in heaven. The choir has benches in the Renaissance style. It is also impossible to ignore the Mannerist wooden pulpit of the first half of the 17th century, decorated with wood carvings by Kaspar Tyuffel and Hans-Ulrich Reber.
