Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Genève

Dramatic St Pierre

The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Genève is a mishmash of structures and styles.

Part of what we see today was built in the 12th century on remains dating from 350 A.D. Walls, rooms and mosaic floors from the earlier time have been discovered beneath the cathedral.

St Pierre’s entrance

In the late-14th century, a small side-chapel, the Chapelle des Macchabées, was added. The 18th century added a Neoclassical portico. Then, in the 19th-century, a green steeple was added.

Interior details

The interior reflects Geneva’s enthusiasm for the Reformation: austere stonework, a lack of altars, statues and icons and whitewashed walls (to cover the paintings). The pulpit and stained glass of the chancel are the only signs that this was once a much grander church.

St Pierre’s unadorned interior