Chur Cathedral

Chur Cathedral
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary
German: Kathedrale St. Mariä Himmelfahrt
Chur Cathedral is located in Canton of Graubünden
Chur Cathedral
Chur Cathedral
Chur Cathedral is located in Switzerland
Chur Cathedral
Chur Cathedral
46°50′52″N 9°32′07″E / 46.84778°N 9.53528°E / 46.84778; 9.53528
LocationChur
CountrySwitzerland
DenominationCatholic
Websitewww.bistum-chur.ch
History
StatusCathedral
Founded1150
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeCathedral
StyleRomanesque with Gothic elements
Years built1150-1272
Administration
DioceseChur
Clergy
Bishop(s)Vitus Huonder

Chur Cathedral, otherwise known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (German: Kathedrale St. Mariä Himmelfahrt), is the Catholic cathedral of the diocese of Chur in Switzerland. The episcopal palace of the bishop of Chur is beside the church. The cathedral claims the relics of St Lucius of Britain, said to have been martyred nearby in the late 2nd century. During the Swiss Reformation, the Catholic population of the city were confined to a ghetto enclosed around the bishop's court beside the cathedral. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[1]

The first building on the site probably dates from the first half of the 5th century.[2] The second church was built by Bishop Tello at some time before his death in 773. The current building was built between 1154 and 1270. In 1272 it was dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The round arch window along the center axis is the largest medieval window in Graubünden. The late-Gothic high altar was completed in 1492 by Jakob Russ.[3]

The cathedral was renovated from 2001 to 2007.

  1. ^ "Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance". A-Objects. Federal Office for Cultural Protection (BABS). 1 January 2017. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  2. ^ Chur in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  3. ^ Official website-The Cathedral (in German) accessed 27 December 2016