Torre del grande S. Cristoforo in Berna

Title

Torre del grande S. Cristoforo in Berna

Description

View of the Christoffelturm in Bern, Helvetia. The Christoffelturm was a tower built between the years 1344 and 1346. It was located in the old part of the Swiss city of Bern, in the upper section of Spitalgasse, near Holy Spirit Church. After a political decision on December 15, 1864, the Christoffelturm was removed by Gottlieb Ott, a Swiss building contractor. Ott began the destruction of the tower in spring of the following year.The decision to remove the tower, which had become a landmark of sorts, was not met without opposition, and the motion of removal succeeded only by a 415 to 411 vote.

ca. 1830

Artist

Bernasconi

Historical Description

The city is the de facto capital of Switzerland. The medieval city is a foundation of the ruling dynasty of Zähringen, which rose to power in Upper Burgundy in the 12th century. According to 14th century historiography (Cronica de Berno, 1309), Bern was founded in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. In 1218, after Berthold died without heirs, Bern was elevated to the status of a free imperial city by the Golden Handfeste of the Roman Emperor Frederick II. In 1353 Bern joined the Swiss Confederation and became one of the eight cantons of the founding period from 1353 to 1481. Bern conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. The city spread west of the peninsula formed by the Aare River.