Notre-Dame du Valentin

Notre-Dame du Valentin is a Catholic church in Lausanne, in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It sits on the Valentin hill close to the city centre. It holds the title of minor basilica and serves as the main place of worship for Catholics across the region.

Why does this church matter to Lausanne?

After the Reformation, Catholic worship was banned in Lausanne for centuries. Notre-Dame du Valentin was the first Catholic church built in the city since then. An earlier attempt on what is now avenue de l'Université failed when a landslide wrecked the structure before it was finished. The new church went up on a different site to designs by Henri Perregaux, between 1832 and 1835. Some sources put the start of work as early as around 1828.

What does the building look like?

Perregaux planned a three-aisled hall with Ionic columns dividing the aisles. He described the style as Roman, and the City of Lausanne calls the main body predominantly neoclassical. Despite what some descriptions say, it is not a Gothic Revival building.

The original church had no tower. One was added in 1932-1933 under the architect Fernand Dumas, together with a peristyle and a broad flight of steps at the front. The white tower is 38 metres high and neo-Romanesque in character. Five bells have rung from it since 1948, and the tower was reinforced in 2006-2008.

What can you see inside?

The best-known feature of the interior is the large fresco in the apse showing the Virgin Mary, painted by Gino Severini. Stained glass is also documented from 1887, as part of work carried out in the later nineteenth century.

Status and protection

Pope John Paul II raised the church to minor basilica in 1992. The canton of Vaud listed it as a protected historic monument on 14 February 2003. The interior has recently been under a city-funded restoration, so some areas may be temporarily closed.

How do you get there?

The church stands on the Valentin hill, close to the centre of Lausanne, so you can reach it on foot. The entrance is up the steps added in the twentieth century.

Frequently asked questions

Is Notre-Dame du Valentin a Gothic Revival church?

No. City sources describe it as neoclassical, with Ionic columns inside. The 1932-1933 tower is neo-Romanesque.

Who designed the church?

Henri Perregaux designed the main building of 1832-1835. Fernand Dumas added the tower, peristyle and steps.

What stands out inside?

Gino Severini's apse fresco of the Virgin Mary, and the three aisles separated by Ionic columns.

Does the church have a special status?

Yes. It has been a minor basilica since 1992 and a listed monument of the canton of Vaud since 2003.