Abbaye De Payerne (Payerne Abbey)

Payerne, a small town in the Broye valley in the canton of Vaud, is home to the largest Romanesque church in Switzerland. The abbey church is a monumental building of pale stone, and its massive proportions seem out of scale with the quiet market town around it. It belonged to a Cluniac priory, a house of the monastic reform movement centred on Cluny in Burgundy, and according to tradition the community was founded in the tenth century by Queen Bertha of Burgundy, a figure remembered in the region for her piety and her good works.

The church that stands today dates mainly from the eleventh century and is a fine example of early Romanesque architecture. Inside, the tall nave, rounded arches and thick pillars create a sense of weight and calm, and the high windows allow light to fall on the bare stone. The porch at the west end, a distinctive feature of Burgundian and Cluniac churches, holds carved capitals and traces of painted decoration that give clues to the colours the interior once had. Later Gothic additions, such as a chapel and vaulting in places, show how the building evolved over the centuries.

The abbey's fortunes changed in the sixteenth century. When Bern conquered the region in 1536 and introduced the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved and the buildings found new uses. At one point the church served as a storeroom and then as a barn, and its fabric suffered. Careful restoration in the twentieth century recovered the Romanesque structure and gave the church the clean, austere appearance that visitors see today. The abbey also houses a museum, with exhibits that explore the history of the monastery and the town.

Payerne has other claims to fame. The military theorist Antoine-Henri Jomini, whose writings on strategy influenced generations of officers, was born here in 1779, and a memorial recalls him. The town is also known for its air base and for the traditions of the Broye region.

Opening arrangements for the abbey have varied in recent years because of conservation work, so it is essential to check current information, including which parts can be visited, before travelling. The town centre is within walking distance of the railway station, and the abbey stands in the middle of it, next to the market square.