Église Saint-Jean-L'Évangéliste

The Church of Saint John the Evangelist (Église Saint-Jean-l'Évangéliste) in Echallens is the Catholic church of a small town in the canton of Vaud, western Switzerland. It belongs to the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, and its story shows how two Christian confessions once lived under one roof.

What is the history of the church?

Echallens first appears in records in 1141, when its church was a branch of the parish of Goumoëns-la-Ville. By 1228 it had become a parish in its own right. The old church here carried the dedication to Saint John the Evangelist and outlived the Reformation.

After 1536 the parish was mixed. Catholics and Protestants used the same building under an arrangement known as the simultaneum, the terms of which Bern and Fribourg negotiated at length. The two cities jointly ruled the surrounding bailiwick from 1484 to 1798.

A new shared church went up in 1726-1727. In the 19th century the communities went their separate ways: Protestants built their own temple in 1865, and Catholics raised their church in 1883 on the site of the old mixed building. That is the Catholic church you see today.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The church stands in the centre of Echallens, at roughly 46.641 N, 6.637 E. The town lies in the Gros-de-Vaud region on the river Talent, along the road from Lausanne to Yverdon, about 15 km from Lausanne. A railway from Lausanne has served the town since 1874, extended to Bercher in 1889.

What else is there to see in Echallens?

Pair the church with a walk through town:

• Echallens Castle – first mentioned in 1273, rebuilt by Louis de Chalon in 1451, burned by the Swiss in 1475 and partly rebuilt in the 16th century as the bailiff's residence. The commune bought it in 1816, and it now houses offices and a school.
• Maison du blé et du pain – a museum of grain and bread, opened in 1989, where traditional crafts are shown live. The area is nicknamed the granary of the Gros-de-Vaud.

When should you visit?

Public historical sources do not list opening hours or service times. Check the Catholic parish of Echallens or the diocesan website for the current mass schedule. Daytime, as part of a stroll through the town centre, works best.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church medieval? The present building dates from 1883. What is medieval is the parish itself, documented before 1228, and the earlier church with the same dedication.

Why did two confessions share one church in Echallens? After the Reformation in 1536 the parish was mixed, and the bailiwick was governed jointly by Protestant Bern and Catholic Fribourg. The simultaneum was their compromise.

Where is the Protestant church? The Reformed community built its own temple in 1865, separate from the Catholic church.

Is anything else worth seeing nearby? Yes, the castle, with parts dating from the 13th to 16th centuries, and the bread museum Maison du blé et du pain.