Lucerne
Encyclopedia : L : LU : LUC : Lucerne
- For other uses, see Lucerne (disambiguation)}}}.
Lucerne (German: [Luzern] ) is a city in central Switzerland with a population of 60,274 (December 31 2003), capital of the Canton of Lucerne. The city is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) with a famous wooden bridge and within sight of Pilatus and Rigi.
History
The city grew from a small fishing village of ancient origins on the shores of Lake Lucerne with the founding of the Benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar in around 700 AD. The Latin name "Luciaria" appears in historical records from around 840 AD.
The opening of the St. Gotthard Pass route in the 13th century made Lucerne into an important trading town for the transshipment of goods over the Alps. Acquired by the Habsburgs in 1291 against the will of its inhabitants, it joined the Swiss Confederation in 1332. During the Counter-Reformation, it was a stronghold of Roman Catholicism, and a base for the Jesuits in their efforts against Calvinism.
In 1601 the city was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami, with the waves of the tsunami repeatedly pounding the town after being reflected back against it by the far shore of Lake Lucerne.
Lucerne was the center of a peasants' revolt in 1653 against the aristocratic regime in the towns, the members of whom had grown rich from mercenary service in foreign armies.
Lucerne was briefly capital of the Napoleonic Helvetian Republic from 1798-1803.
In 1841, Lucerne seceded from the Swiss Confederation, leading to the Sonderbund War of 1847. In 1848, Lucerne was re-admitted into the Swiss Confederation.
The construction of the Gotthard railway and the establishment of ship transport on Lake Lucerne have made Lucerne into one of Switzerland’s main tourist destinations.
Sights
Since the city straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a 1993 fire. Partway across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.
Downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Mühlenplatz, the Spreuerbrücke or Mill Bridge zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and features a series of medieval-style 17th Century plague paintings by Kaspar Meglinger titled Dance of Death. Meglinger's paintings portray various conditions of men and women, priests and warriors, princes and men of learning, the young bride, the devout nun, the lawmaker, the hunter, the miller, even the artist himself, are all depicted at the mercy of Death, with his mocking smile and his ever-changing garb. These paintings, suitable for a Benedictine abbey, are seen by every inhabitant of beautiful Lucerne who crosses the river via the Spreuerbrücke. It has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.
Old Town Luzern is located just north of the Reuss River, and still has several fine half-timber structures with painted fronts. Remnants of the old town walls exist on the hill above Lucerne, complete with eight tall watch towers. An additional gated tower sits at the base of the hill on the banks of the Reuss River.
The twin needle towers of the cathedral of St. Leodegar sit on a small hill just above the lakefront. Originally built in 735, the present structure was erected in 1633 in the late Renaissance style. However, the towers are surving remnants of an earlier structure. The interior is richly decorated. The cathedral is popularly called the Hofkirche (German) and is known locally as the Hofchile (Swiss-German).
Bertel Thorvaldsen's famous carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off Lowenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
The Swiss Transport Museum is a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft.
The Culture and Convention Center Lucerne beside the lake in the center of the city was designed by Jean Nouvel. The center has one of the world's leading concert halls, with acoustics by Russell Johnson.
Events
The city hosts the [Lucerne Festival] for classical music each year in late summer. Lucerne has also hosted the Festival Rose d'Or in the spring since 2004.
External links
- [Lucerne city homepage]
- [Luzern Tourismus AG - tourist office]
- from Wikitravel
- [Lucerne Pictures] Pictures of attractions and areas in Lucerne.
- Media
- *[Radio Pilatus] ()
- *[Radio 3fach] ()
- *Neue Luzerner Zeitung: [www.zisch.ch] () (local newspaper)
- *[Anzeiger Luzern] ()
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