Page 252 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

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CHUR

CATHEDRAL

The 15th-
EXPERIENCE Eastern Switzerland and Graubünden
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exemplify late
Officially known as the Cathedral of St Mary of the Gothic wood-
Assumption, Chur’s Catholic church is a historic place carving.
of worship. During the Swiss Reformation, the town’s
Catholic community were confined to the cathedral
and the surrounding bishop’s court.
Begun in 1151 and completed in the mid-13th
century, Chur Cathedral represents a mixture
of the Romanesque and Gothic architectural
styles. The earliest part of the basilica is its
eastern section. The nave, with Romanesque
columns and Gothic vaulting, and the bell
tower, topped by a lantern, are later elements.
The exterior was remodelled in the early 19th
century, after the building was damaged by a
fire that destroyed the original towers and
roof. Peculiarly, the cathedral is built to an
irregular plan, with the axis of the sanctuary
and that of the nave being out of alignment.
The sanctuary is home to one of the finest
features of the cathedral – the renovated
15th-century golden altar triptych, which
gleams in the light slanting through the
small side windows.

The main altar
has an ornate,
golden triptych.

Side door
to the choir of
the cathedral The crypt is
supported by
columns with
capitals in the form
of animal figures. The Gothic
sanctuary is
decorated with
delicate figures
of saints.

A capital in the shape of
a man riding a lion in the
cathedral’s crypt

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