Collégiale de Neuchâtel

Collégiale de Neuchâtel is a former collegiate church crowning the castle hill in Neuchâtel, western Switzerland. It stands on Rue de la Collégiale beside the castle and ranks among the canton's finest medieval monuments. Its best-known treasure is the funerary monument of the counts and countesses of Neuchâtel.

When was the church built?

Work began around 1190 and wrapped up late in the 13th century, as the old castle town grew into the capital of a small state. The style changed along the way: the first builders used Rhenish Romanesque forms, then in the early 13th century the design turned to Burgundian-influenced Gothic. The south portal dates to the 1190s. It survived the Reformation but was partly destroyed in 1672.

In 1530 the interior suffered iconoclastic destruction as the town turned Protestant. Today the building belongs to the Reformed church.

What is inside?

The centrepiece is the monument of the counts. Count Louis de Neuchâtel commissioned it in 1370 and it was completed around 1372, the year a Latin inscription on the slab gives. The ensemble has 15 polychrome statues and is regarded as a major work of medieval sculpture in Switzerland.

After the damage of 1530 and later restorations, the tomb is a composite of several medieval funerary types. Since 2021 the "Monumentissimo!" app lets visitors view it in augmented reality.

Excavations beneath the west aisle uncovered the remains of 30 to 40 people, some of whom, according to the archaeologists, were buried before the 12th-century church was raised.

How to visit

The church sits in the old town, a short walk from the castle. In 2021 the city offered guided tours covering the church, its monument and the castle complex with its prison tower. Opening hours and tour dates change, so check with the Neuchâtel tourist office or the city before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Collégiale de Neuchâtel? On the castle hill in Neuchâtel, on Rue de la Collégiale, next to the castle.

How old is it? Construction ran from about 1190 to the end of the 13th century, shifting from Romanesque to Gothic.

What makes the counts' monument special? It dates from around 1372 and carries 15 polychrome statues, ranking among Switzerland's most important medieval sculptures.

Can I see the monument digitally? Yes. The "Monumentissimo!" app, available since 2021, presents it in augmented reality.