750 Years Lausanne Cathedral

Glass rose
Switzerland’s most important Gothic building was consecrated 750 years ago. To mark the occasion, we’re taking a closer look at the design of the anniversary stamp, the rose window of Lausanne Cathedral.

The rose of Lausanne
With a diameter of around eight metres, the rose window illustrates the medieval view of the world. Compared to other rose windows, that world view is rarely as pronounced as in Lausanne. Its division of the world view into remarkably complex and geometric figures is influenced by the encyclopaedic works of the time, which arrange the cosmos in this way with the circle as the main element.

The rose of Lausanne was created between 1205 and 1232. It is thought to be the work of Pierre d’Arras. Large parts of the window are still made up of the glass elements dating from the Middle Ages. Elements that were in poor condition or were lost had to be reproduced. The master glazier Edouard Hosch was commissioned to do this towards the end of the 19th century, Hosch imitated the original style so well that, viewed from below, there is hardly any recognizable difference.