One of the most majestic gothic monuments in Switzerland is the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Lausanne, which stands proudly at the top of the city, visible from almost everywhere, characterizing the skyline. It’s a huge building, whose main boasts are a completely frescoed portal and a large rose window formed by 105 multi-coloured stained glass windows. The bell tower of the Cathedral offers, from its 152 meters high, a panorama of the city and the lake that is not easily forgotten. Even those less knowledgeable about architectural styles will recognise Lausanne Cathedral, which was started at the end of the 12th century in the heart of the Cité, as a manifestation of the Gothic style. On the right-hand side of the church is the remarkable Apostles’ Gate (1230), also known as the "portail peint" (painted gateway) because the statues decorating it bear traces of the original polychromy. An atrium precedes it, with figures of saints and prophets, reliefs of the Apocalypse, the Deposition, the Resurrection and the Coronation of the Virgin in the architrave and in the tympanum above the entrance.
The three naves of the interior are also a manifestation of Gothic style, with ogival arches, choir stalls, bishops’ sepulchres, sculptural groups and frescoes. The stained-glass window of the rose window in the right transept is extremely precious, representing an imago mundi, with seasons, months, the four elements of the physical world and signs of the zodiac.
