The Great Church of Orbe was founded in the 12th century and destroyed for the first time in 1407 by a fire that devastated the whole building except the four walls and a few pillars.[1] The church was re-built beginning in 1408 and completed a century later by Balthazar Huguenin and Balthazar Jeanneret with the walls included in the city walls.[2] The works were ended by architect Antoine Lagniaz, who re-built the nave and the side aisles between 1521 and 1525. Moreover, three side chapels were enlarged in 1687.[3]
The Post-Gothic church has five naves and notably features statues on the keystone, as well as capitals that represent Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels.[4]
After the city was conquered by the canton of Bern in 1536 and after the introduction of the Reformation, the church became a temple and was shared by both faiths. The Protestant progressively made exclusive use of the building and installed a statue of reformer Pierre Viret (a native of Orbe) in the building in 1911.[5]
^"Orbe". orgues-et-vitraux.ch (in French). Retrieved October 7, 2012.
^Reymond, Bernard (1997). Temples de Suisse romande: à la découverte d'un patrimoine. Sites et villages vaudois (in French). Éditions Cabédita. pp. 51–53. ISBN9782882951915.
Naef, Albert (1903). Orbe: le château et l'église : communication (in French). L. Vincent.
Gilliard, Frédéric (1934). L'église d'Orbe: étude historique et archéologique. Pro Urba / Association du vieil Orbe (in French). Vol. 5. Librairie Jaques.
