Description of the attraction
Notre Dame Cathedral in Lausanne is a church built in honor of the Virgin Mary. It has existed since the 6th century. Initially, it had a different name, and even was a pagan temple dedicated to Saint Thyrsus - the rod of the Greek god Dionysus. In the X-XI centuries, it became a Christian church. Its construction lasted over a hundred years and was divided into three stages. The architect Jean Coterel took part in it. In 1275, the cathedral was finally consecrated in the presence of Pope Gregory X and King Rudolf von Habsburg.
Initially, the temple was made in the Romanesque style, but today we see a building built mainly in the Gothic style. During the Reformation, the temple was not left "unattended"; it was heavily looted and deprived of most of its decorations, in particular statues and paintings. The building was built using soft sandstone stone, which is typical for buildings of that time.
The cathedral took on its present appearance largely thanks to the architect Viollet-le-Duc. The cathedral has the largest organ in Switzerland with 7,000 pipes. The stained glass "rose" of the 13th century is noteworthy; it is believed that it reflects the medieval picture of the world. It depicts the elements, the rivers of paradise, the seasons, twelve months and the signs of the zodiac. The alternation of months is a symbol of the passage of time. But this is not the only stained glass window of the cathedral, others were created later and belong to the 19th and 20th centuries.
The decorative Monfalcón portal on the western façade, created at the beginning of the 16th century, contrasts sharply with the older portals. On the south wall of the nave, there are still paintings and statues from the 13th century. Also preserved are the carved wooden choirs dating from the middle of the 13th century.
In those Middle Ages, the cathedral was a place of mass pilgrimage; there are even records of the number of believers who visited it annually (about 70,000 people).
The south tower of the temple offers a magnificent view of the city, lake and mountains.
