Fribourg Cathedral

Church in Fribourg, Switzerland

46°48′22″N 7°9′47″E / 46.80611°N 7.16306°E / 46.80611; 7.16306LocationFribourgCountrySwitzerlandDenominationRoman CatholicWebsiteWebsiteHistoryStatusActiveFounded1283ArchitectureFunctional statusParish church
Cathedral (since 1945)StyleGothic architectureCompleted1490AdministrationDioceseLausanne, Geneva and FribourgClergyBishop(s)Charles Morerod

Fribourg Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Fribourg) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fribourg, Switzerland, built in the Gothic style, on a rocky outcrop 50 metres above the river Sarine (Saane), dominating the medieval town below. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.

History

Fribourg cathedral strikes 9 o'clock

Full ringing of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Freiburg

The main body of the church was started in 1283 and completed by 1430. The tower was completed in 1490. It is 76 metres (250ft) tall and houses 11 bells. It also features a rose window above the main portal with stained glass by Harrison Weltlich (1988). The stained-glass windows, designed by the Polish painter Jozef Mehoffer and made by local craftsmen Kirsch & Fleckner between 1896 and 1936, constitute one of the most important collections of religious Art Nouveau stained-glass windows.^{[citation needed]}

Originally a parish church, in 1945 it became the cathedral of the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg.