Lausanne History

If we were to discuss the entire history of Lausanne, our tale would begin about 25 million years ago. For the sake of space, not to mention your personal happiness, we shall begin our brief historical tour at 6,000 BC. It is around this time that bones found in Vidy are dated. You can see these in the recently discovered Roman ruins in the lakeside suburb of Lausanne.

Skipping through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, plus a few pillages and rampages through the town, we arrive at the 12th and 13th centuries. Lausanne at that time was a bustling place, attracting pilgrims from all over who were particularly interested in the Cathedral (Lausanne Cathedral). Pope Gregory X came to consecrate the Cathedral on October 20th, 1275.

The Cité, one of two communities in Lausanne at the time, was surrounded by a wall, built centuries earlier for defense. They then put 20 gates into the wall and Lausanne expanded outwards. These gates saw much traffic, as this small town was a major throughfare for those coming and going from Bern, Italy, the Jura, the Valais and Geneva.

Passing through several more centuries of religious wars, invasions, the plague, Lausanne came into vogue in the second half of the 18th century, thanks to the famous philosopher, Rousseau. Travellers started to come to see this beautiful hilly city, with flowing rivers and pristine countryside. These newcomers included everyone from Mozart to Voltaire to Goethe. These cultured visitors were only the beginning of Lausanne's interest in the arts and in education, as the city established the world-famous Academy, with faculties devoted to Science and Law, an art school which opened in 1823, a municipal theatre, a science university, and of course, the city became the headquarters for the International Olympic Committee in 1915. In this century, Lausanne continued to grow despite the serious conflicts going on all around, most notably the two world wars.

Currently a city of 125,000, Lausanne has managed to keep its history visible and accessible. With the exception of building over the major rivers and knocking down its fortified walls, most of the city's landmarks are still around. Place de la Palud, for example, where you find a twice weekly markets, has been a meeting place for commerce since the 9th century. The Town Hall has been home to the government for five centuries. The St-François Church, once the most imposing landmark in town, is believed to have once been made of wood, and rue de Bourg, now a very fashionable upscale street, has been courting visitors since the 9th century. Regardless of where you look in Lausanne, everywhere there is history.

Even Lake Geneva, known as lac Léman in French, was mentioned by Julius Caesar in 58BC; so when you are lying on the beach or buying your bread in Place Riponne, think about all of those who have come before you and be thankful we did not start this history lesson in 25 million BC!