Château Saint-Maire
| Château Saint-Maire | ||
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 Château Saint-Maire |
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| Creation time : | 1397 to 1406 | |
| Conservation status: | Receive | |
| Place: | Lausanne | |
| Geographical location | 46 ° 31 '29.5 " N , 6 ° 38' 8.5" E | |
| Height: | 535 m above sea level M. | |
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The Château Saint-Maire is a castle in the city center of Lausanne in Switzerland . It is part of the Swiss inventory of cultural goods of national and regional importance .
history
The Château Saint-Maire was commissioned by the Bishop of Lausanne and the building was constructed between 1397 and 1406. Guillaume de Menthonay began the work, but was murdered by his hairdresser in 1406 , so that the work under Guillaume de Challant was completed. During this period it was customary to build fortresses in large cube form, which included the dwelling and the defense. The Vufflens and Blonay castles , which were built according to the same principle, are also located in the canton of Vaud .
The defense of the castle held up when the citizens revolted against the bishop in 1482. They failed to take the castle.
Bern conquered Vaud in March 1536 under the leadership of Hans Franz Nägeli . The last bishop of Lausanne, Sébastien de Montfalcon , had to flee and the castle became the property of Bern. Nothing was changed significantly in the building. It was not until 1789 that the bailiff built two floors next to the castle so that he had more space and light. Eleven years later, in 1798, Ludwig von Büren , the last governor, was asked to leave the castle.
From 1811 the Small Council , i.e. today's cantonal government , was established. To this day, Saint-Maire Castle is the seat of the canton's executive authority .
The castle cannot be visited as it is the seat of government.
architecture
The Château Saint-Maire is a large cube made of gray molasses , which has red floors made of bricks with machicolations and angled turrets . This is the typical style from the Aosta Valley - Guillaume de Challant belonged to an old and noble Valdotain family. The interior was decorated by Aymon de Montfalcon between 1498 and 1517.
A closer look at the upper part of the castle reveals split battlements . These suggest that there were loopholes there that allowed the defenders to hide halfway. The roofs have probably been lowered. The same crenellated style can be found in the castles of Locarno and Bellinzona. The notches were never needed during the time of the Bernese, and they were plugged and the roof was brought back to the edge of the walls.
Several renovations were carried out during the 19th century. A terrace was built in one corner of the castle and the gate was demolished to enlarge the access road.
A statue was erected on the main facade in honor of Major Davel . He spent his last night near the then still existing gate.
