, native_name_lang = German , image = Solothurn - St. Ursen von Süden.jpg , imagesize = 250 , imagealt = , caption = , pushpin map = Switzerland , map caption = St. Ursus Cathedral , coordinates = , location = , country = Switzerland , denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

, membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = , founder = , dedication = , dedicated date = , consecrated date = 26 September 1773 , cult = , relics = , events = , bishop = Felix Gmür , people = , status =

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, functional status = Active , heritage designation = Heritage site of national significance , designated date = , architect =

Gaetano Matteo Pisoni Gaetano Matteo Pisoni (July 18, 1713 – March 4, 1782) was an Italian architect born at Ascona, who worked in a somewhat chilly academic Late Baroque manner that lies on the cusp of the latest Baroque classicising manner and Neoclassical archit ...

, Paolo Antonio Pisoni , architectural type =

, style = Neoclassical , groundbreaking = 1763 , completed date = 26 September 1773 , construction cost = , capacity = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , spire quantity = 1 , spire height = , materials = Solothurn Limestone , bells = 11 , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = St. Ursen, Solothurn , diocese =

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS) ...

The St. Ursus Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Ursus) or Solothurn Cathedral is the cathedral of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Basel The Diocese of Basel (german: Bistum Basel; la, Diœcesis Basileensis) is a Catholic diocese in Switzerland. Historically, the bishops of Basel were also secular rulers of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel (german: Fürstbistum Basel). The bis ...

in the city of

Solothurn , neighboring_municipalities = Bellach, Biberist, Feldbrunnen-Sankt Niklaus, Langendorf, Rüttenen, Zuchwil , twintowns = Heilbronn (Germany), Kraków (Poland), Le Landeron (Switzerland) Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; ...

, Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Patronage

Ursus and Victor were 3rd-century

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...

s and saints. They were associated very early with the

Theban Legion The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Egypt—"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men"—who converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together in 286, a ...

, who were, according to the

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...

of the legion, martyred for refusing to worship the Emperor. The ''Life of Ursus'' was written by Saint

Eucherius of Lyon Eucherius (c. 380c. 449) was a high-born and high-ranking ecclesiastic in the Christian church in Roman Gaul. He is remembered for his letters advocating extreme self-abnegation. From 439, he served as Archbishop of Lyon, and Henry Wace ranked h ...

in the 5th century; it recounts that Ursus was tortured and beheaded under Emperor

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then '' Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

and the governor Hyrtacus for refusing to worship idols around 286.Mershman, Francis. "St. Ursus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 18 Jan. 2014
/ref>

History

First church

The first church on the site was built in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the M ...

. St. Ursus of Solothurn was venerated in the city by the 5th century. By 870 there was a

college A college ( Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

of canons and presumably a

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a Church (building), church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college (canon law), college of canon (priest), canons: a non-monastic or secular clergy, "secular" community of clergy, organis ...

in Solothurn. A Romanesque church might have existed, but there is no written or archeological evidence to support or refute it. The first documented record of the

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

church comes from 1294, while the

altar An altar is a Table (furniture), table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of wo ...

s were ordained in 1293 and 1298. J.R. Rahn wrote in 1893 that 1294 was the completion date of this church. Hans Rudolf Sennhauser wrote in 1990 that the shape of the

crypt A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a ...

was inconsistent with a 1294 construction date. He felt that the two-piece crypt with a double row of pillars was replaced with a single part crypt around 1100. Since the pre-1762 church had a two-piece crypt, he believed it dated from before 1100. It is likely that the twin towers were damaged in the

1356 Basel earthquake The 1356 Basel earthquake is the most significant seismological event to have occurred in Central Europe in recorded history and had a moment magnitude in the range of 6.0–7.1.choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

was rebuilt in 1544, while the crypt was re-covered. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

was rebuilt in 1644 and widened. The sacristy was extended in 1664. The college was founded and supported by the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

kings. Originally the canons followed the rules of the

Institutio canonicorum Aquisgranensis The Institutio canonicorum Aquisgranensis (the Instruction of canons of Aachen) was a text disseminated in 816 at a church council gathered at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) by Emperor Louis the Pious, which sought to distinguish canons from monks and ...

, where they ate and lived together but could have private dwellings with their Bishop's permission. By the 13th century, the common life rules were given up and the canons became independent. The college of canons were supported by and consisted of foreign nobles, which often caused conflicts with the growing city of Solothurn. In the 14th century, tension rose to a high point, culminating in the 1382 ''Solothurner Mordnacht'' (Solothurn murder night). The increasingly indebted Count Rudolf II of Neu-Kyburg prepared to raid Solothurn to force the city to forgive his debts. He arraigned with one of the canons, Hans von Stein, to allow Rudolf's forces into the city. However, his plan was discovered by Hans Roth, a farmer from Rumisberg, who warned the city. Angry residents of the city then murdered Hans von Stein in the church during a

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different element ...

. Rudolf II's attempted raid on Solothurn gave Bern a reason to attack the Counts of Neu-Kyburg and caused the Burgdorferkrieg. After the ''Mordnacht'', the college began recruiting from the city council and conflicts reduced between the two groups. In 1519 the Ursus casket with two skeletons were discovered under the chancel altar of the church. A school is first mentioned in the college in 1208. It remained in operation until 1863, though after the founding of the Jesuit school in Solothurn in 1646, it became less important. The first catalog of the college library was completed in 1424. A

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

school was founded in 1585 by the Solothurn patrician Wilhelm Tugginer. The traditional boys' choir was restarted in the 1970s in the cathedral. By the 18th century the

church was in a poor condition. On 25 March 1762 the Wendelstein tower collapsed forcing the city to begin planning to replace the building.Diocese of Basel – Cathedral
accessed 2 April 2014

Second church

In the following year, the city hired the architect

(1713–1782) from

Ascona 300px, Ascona Ascona ( lmo, label= Ticinese, Scona ) is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore. The town is a popular tourist destination and holds the yea ...

to design and build a new church. However, relations between the city and the

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

architect eventually soured and he was dismissed from the project. His nephew, Paolo Antonio Pisoni (1738–1804), took over construction in 1772. On 26 September 1773 the new church was dedicated by the

Bishop of Lausanne The Bishop of Lausanne (French: ''Évêque de Lausanne'') was a Prince-Bishop of the Holy Roman Empire (since 1011) and the Ordinary of the diocese of Lausanne, Switzerland (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lausannensis''). Bern secularized the bishopric i ...

, Joseph Niklaus von Montenach. It remained part of the Diocese of Lausanne until 7 May 1828 when

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

reorganized the Diocese of Basel to include Solothurn. The collegiate church was raised to a cathedral and became a Bishop's seat as well as a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activitie ...

. On 11 August 1853, an earthquake lightly damaged the cathedral. It took until 1917 to repair the resulting cracks. During the repair of the cracks, a comprehensive renovation was also carried out and a heating system was installed. In January 2011, the free-standing altar in the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

and parts of the surrounding church were severely damaged by an arson attack by a 61-year-old Swiss man who had a history of mental illness. The cathedral was closed for about two years for repairs and cleaning. The walls, ceiling and organ all suffered smoke damage and had to be cleaned. The old altar was replaced with a new marble altar. The entire project cost about 8.7 million CHF. The offender was sentenced in September 2011, partly because of another

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

attack, to a prison sentence of 14 months without parole. However, due to his mental disorders, he was admitted to a secure psychiatric clinic.

Building exterior

The western facade of the cathedral is a monumental white stone neoclassical structure. The lower portion is divided into three sections by

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

s topped with

pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...

and

entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...

. The upper portion is smaller and continues the decoration of columns, pilasters and entablature. The facade is crowned with a triangular

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

as are all of the doors. The front is decorated with monumental statues and

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s from the sculptor Johann Baptist Babel which were carved in 1774–75. From north to south the figures are St. Stephan,

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat ...

, St. Mauritius, St.

Verena Verena of Zurzach, mostly just called ''Saint Verena'' (c. 260 – c. 320) is an early Christian consecrated virgin and hermit. She is especially venerated in Switzerland, where her cult is attested in Bad Zurzach, the reported place of he ...

, St. Victor, St. Ursus, St. Regula, St. Felix, St. Beatus and Niklaus von Flue. In the center is a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

flanked by figures that represent religion and fortitude. The relief on the right shows Saints Ursus and Victor refusing to worship idols. The one on the left shows the beheading of the

. The center relief shows

St. Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...

accepting the keys. The monumental staircase leading to the west facade is flanked by statues of Moses and

Gideon Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Ab ...

atop Roman style fountains. The single bell tower is located on the north side of the choir and is topped with a copper

onion dome An onion dome is a dome whose shape resembles an onion. Such domes are often larger in diameter than the tholobate upon which they sit, and their height usually exceeds their width. These bulbous structures taper smoothly to a point. It is a ty ...

. The crossing is crowned with a large copper dome.

Music

Organs

The main organ was ordered in 1763 from the organ builder Victor Ferdinand Bosshard (1699–1772) from Baar. It was delivered on 24 April 1772 by his son Karl Josef Maria Bosshard (1736–1795), as his father had died that year. The choir organ was also ordered from Ferdinand Viktor Bosshard and was delivered on 29 September 1772. The original casing of the main and the choir organ are still preserved. However, the organ case in the south transept is a mute. The main organ was rebuilt in 1942 by Kuhn Organ Builders from the year 1942. In 1975 the organ was rebuilt again, the visible pipes were retained, but the majority of the inner workings were replaced. * '' Couplers:'' I/II, III/I, III/II, IV/II, IV/III, I/P II/P III/P IV/P The smaller choir organ was ordered in 1773 from the organ builder Carl Joseph Maria Bossart. It was rebuilt in 1973 by Metzler Orgelbau. Today the organ has 12 stops on one manual. The pedal is attached and has no register.Kunstführer Kathedrale pg. 31

Choir

The Boys Choir of St Ursus Cathedral in Solothurn is the oldest boys choir in Switzerland, with its origins in the

of St. Ursenstift founded in 742. The choir contains around 60 boys and men, with the boys attending local schools.

Bells

References

External links

{{Authority control Solothurn Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Solothurn Roman Catholic cathedrals in Switzerland Roman Catholic churches completed in 1773 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Switzerland Church buildings with domes 1773 establishments in Europe Neoclassical church buildings in Switzerland