Église de Saint-Jean-Cour

Église de Saint-Jean-Cour in Lausanne is a Reformed Protestant church at avenue de Cour 139, in the Cour district southeast of the city centre. Vaud's heritage programme treats it as a total work of art, where architecture, murals and stained glass were conceived together and modelled on early Christian basilicas.

How did the church come about?

It exists thanks to a gift from Marguerite de Loÿs-Chandieu. With that money, pastor Jules Amiguet had a modest temple started in 1912 in what was then an outlying neighbourhood. His brother René Amiguet drew up a first, regionalist design, but it was shelved. The commission went to Otto Schmid, an architect from Veytaux who specialised in restoring historic monuments. Lausanne guidebooks give 1915 as the year of completion.

What is inside?

The interior is the main draw. Louis Rivier, who had first assisted Schmid, painted the decoration over six stages between 1924 and 1940, finishing the work on his own. A Vaudois Protestant painter, he gave the church a richly decorated look that is unusual for a Reformed place of worship. Stained glass adds to the effect. By the 1990s the building was in poor shape and the organ unplayable, so a restoration followed (archive file dated 1992 to 1994).

When can you visit?

This is a working parish church of Saint-Jean, so access depends on services and events. It has opened to visitors during the European Heritage Days programme of canton Vaud, and it hosts organ music. Check the parish website for current dates.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a Catholic church? No. It is Protestant, part of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Vaud.

Who designed it? Otto Schmid of Veytaux drew the plans, and Louis Rivier painted the interior.

Where is it? At avenue de Cour 139 in Lausanne's Cour district. Do not confuse it with the Église de la Croix d'Ouchy, another Reformed church in the city.

Why visit? For the unified interior with Rivier's murals, created over nearly two decades, and the stained glass.