Église Saint-François (Lausanne)

Église Saint-François in Lausanne is a Gothic Protestant church on Place Saint-François, in the heart of the city in the canton of Vaud. Franciscan friars founded it in the 13th century, and today it counts among the oldest buildings in Lausanne and, with the cathedral, as one of only two medieval churches still standing in the city.

Why is there a church on Place Saint-François?

Franciscans arrived in Lausanne in 1258. They set up a convent and built a church on what was then the southern edge of town, next to the defensive wall. To make room, the wall had to be shifted. Sources date completion to roughly 1270; the 750th anniversary celebrated in 2022 counted from 1272, when the church was ready for its first burials.

A fire around 1368 damaged the church and convent, and rebuilding took several years. The nave was thoroughly renovated then, while the general plan, part of the nave structure and the choir still come from the original building. After the Reformation of 1536 the church passed to the city and became a Protestant place of worship. The convent buildings are largely gone; the last walls came down between 1895 and 1902.

What will you see?

• A four-sided choir. Its centre forms an angle instead of a flat end, a consequence of the line of the old city wall.
• The bell tower. A square tower about 56 m high with four corner turrets modelled on the cathedral's. It dates from the late 14th or early 15th century, despite the Franciscan ideal of simplicity.
• A plain, harmonious silhouette. Later alterations left the modest character of the building intact.

The church is listed in the Swiss federal inventory of cultural property (KGS 06136) and is described as Lausanne's oldest church.

How to get there and when to visit

The church is open daily from 8:30 to 20:00. Take a tl bus to the Saint-François stop, or the m1 and m2 metro lines and the LEB train to Lausanne-Flon, a short walk away. The nearest car parks are Rotillon and Lausanne-Palace. The square is lined with former bank buildings, the post office and shops, so a visit fits easily into a stroll through the centre.

Frequently asked questions

Is Église Saint-François the cathedral? No. It is a separate Reformed parish church; Lausanne's cathedral stands elsewhere in the old town.

Who built it? The Franciscans, who came to Lausanne in 1258. It has been Protestant since the Reformation in 1536.

Is there an entrance fee? The city of Lausanne lists no admission charge and presents the church as open to visitors during its daily hours.

How tall is the tower? About 56 metres, with four corner turrets.