Cathédrale St. Nicolas in the town of Fribourg, Switzerland

Ever since it was featured on a Migros domino (they came free with groceries at one point in the promotional cycle), I had wanted to visit the Cathédrale St. Nicolas in the town of Fribourg, Switzerland. I hadn't heard of it and was intrigued by what could sit alongside the Jet d'Eau and the Matterhorn in national importance. We had driven through the canton of Fribourg, but never stopped in the canton's capital city of the same name. My precious husband agreed we could stop by it on the way home from our Geneva road trip on December 10th. Finally my curiosity was quenched.

It's a Gothic cathedral from the 12-1400s. We got there in the darkening tendrils of evening. I prayed it would be open so we could go inside, even though it was past the opening hours I had spotted on my phone. Lo and behold, there were some kind of preparations going on for a special event, and we gained access through the open door. Thank You, our Provider.

At the altar, it was interesting to see a crucifix with four of the six francophone cantons' flags underneath, prominently displayed. Pour Your covering blood over our cantons to forgive us our sins and redeem us for Yourself, it says to me. But why Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Geneva, and not the other two francophone cantons? I suppose Valais and Jura are the outliers to the south and north, but then Geneva is the outlier to the west. Also, Valais is bilingual with German, and Jura was the last canton to be added, as late as 1979. Potential reasons for their exclusion.

It seems that every impressive church we visit has something new to offer that we haven't seen before. I liked the distinctive black and gold motif on all the pillars (last photo).

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Posted via email from K's Café