The history of Payerne Abbey Church is one of human adventure. The site is a Romanesque masterpiece, one of the largest in Switzerland. Its history is an ancient one and the lives of the people associated with it are fascinating. Follow the Abbey Church’s new immersive interactive tour!
In 1818, the bones found in the nave of the Abbey Church, and identified as those of Queen Berthe, were moved to a tomb in the Gachet Chapel of the parish church. The marble slab that closes the tomb recounts the queen’s legendary past.
On 20 May, through our short reports produced by Simon Brunet Production, discover the opening and study of this mysterious tomb and its still unexplored contents. Scientists, art historians, archaeologists and anthropologists will reveal the secrets surrounding the burial of Queen Berthe.
To begin with, here is the video of the opening of the tomb.
The archaeologist, Clément Hervé, presents the discovery made in the tomb and the next stages of research to come.
To conclude this rich day, a short word from our director-curator, Anne-Gaëlle Villet.
If you want to know more, you can watch the press conference on Thursday morning by following this link: https://youtu.be/UalGIept_4M
The Abbey Church and its surroundings are vast and welcoming. Its discovery tour is safe and clean. We respect all hygiene requirements to provide you a safe visit.
The Abbey Church is open at normal opening hours but has introduced some new procedures:
During your visit to the site of Payerne Abbey Church, we ask that you respect social distancing of 2 metres between visitors and staff and abide by instructions given by our staff throughout your tour. To find out more, please see our detailed protection plan.
Together with archaeologists and historians, discover one of the most fascinating historical figures in the Abbey Church: Queen Bertha of Swabia.
With the support of Mobiliar and Raiffeisen.
