In the heart of Lausanne, on the always lively Place St. Francis near the shopping arcades, stands a church consecrated in honour of St. Francis. It was built by monks from the Franciscan order on the territory of their monastery. The appearance of the church dates back to 1272. At that time, the monastery was located at the southern city wall.
Unfortunately, very few interior elements of that time have survived. The church is now a Protestant church, and the adherents of this religion do not welcome decorations in places intended for prayer and communion with God. During the Middle Ages, however, the church was the centre of a monastery complex, safely hidden behind the city walls.
In 1368, the whole city was engulfed in fire, and the sad fate did not pass and the church and the monastery. The damage was not fatal, however, and the building was rebuilt in a short period of time. Some wealthy families gave donations for the restoration of the frescoes and the chapel. At the same time, a new annex in the form of a clock tower appeared near the church.
Today only the church remains - the monastery was closed by the reformers. The monastery church became the parish church of the Lower Town and is stripped of almost all its decorations. In 1664 John Lyle, the fugitive judge who sent King Charles I of England to be executed, was murdered here. He was massacred by the late monarch's supporters.
Later, the monastic buildings were gradually destroyed. The remains of the ruins were removed in the late 19th century.
A distinctive feature of the interior of the church is the design of its vaults - columns divide the nave into five sectors. It is assumed that in the XIV century the choirs divided the interior of the church into two separate parts: in one could be monks of the monastery, in the other - the parishioners.
The vaults are a distinctive feature of the interior of the church.
