The Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier (Jesuitenkirche) is the white twin-towered church on the left bank of the Reuss in Lucerne, facing the old town across the river. Built from 1666 and consecrated in 1677, it is regarded as the first large Baroque church in Switzerland north of the Alps. Inside, behind a pale and pink stucco interior, one side altar holds a statue dressed in the real habit of Brother Klaus, Switzerland's patron saint.
The Jesuit Church at a glance
- Where: Bahnhofstrasse on the left bank of the Reuss, between the Chapel Bridge and the Spreuer Bridge, next to the Ritter Palace.
- Built: 1666–1677; the shell and main facade were finished by 1673, the church was consecrated in 1677, and the onion-domed towers were only completed in 1893.
- By: it is not certain who designed it; the Jesuit Father Christoph Vogler ran the building site until 1669, and the towers were added by Heinrich Viktor von Segesser.
- What it is today: a Catholic church, used for services and concerts and open to visitors.
- Time needed: 15–30 minutes.
A Counter-Reformation church on the river
In the 16th century the Reformation split the Swiss Confederation, and Catholic Lucerne turned to the Jesuits. The city council invited them in 1573, and in 1577 they opened a college in the Ritter Palace, a Renaissance mansion built in 1557 for the mayor Lux Ritter. A proper church followed nearly a century later. Building started in 1666, the shell and the main facade on the river were finished by 1673, and the church was consecrated in 1677 to St Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to Asia. Money was short, so the high altar was only put up around 1681.
The church changed with taste. In 1749 the vault was redone in light Rococo style: Wessobrunn stuccoists added coloured stucco, and the brothers Giuseppe and Giovanni Torricelli painted the nave ceiling with scenes from Xavier's life. The two towers, part of the original plan, were finally completed in 1893 in neo-Baroque style. Restorations in 1951–1958, 1974–1980 and 2002 gave the church its present bright look.
What to look for
- The twin towers with onion domes, added in 1893, which make the church easy to spot from the Chapel Bridge.
- The ceiling paintings of 1749 showing the life of St Francis Xavier, set in pastel Rococo stucco.
- The high altar of red stucco marble, which looks like real marble but is not, with an altarpiece of 1681 by Francesco Innocenzo Torriani and statues of Saints Peter and Paul.
- The Brother Klaus altar, the second on the right: a life-size statue from 1617 wearing an authentic hermit's habit of St Nicholas of Flüe, with his walking stick in the base below.
- The facade on the river, finished by 1673; its gable was restored in the 1950s to a plan from around 1672.
Who was Brother Klaus?
Nicholas of Flüe (1417–1487), known as Brother Klaus, was a farmer, soldier and local councillor from Obwalden who left his family to live as a hermit in the Ranft gorge. Swiss politicians came to him for advice, and his mediation is credited with helping to keep the Confederation together at the Diet of Stans in 1481. He was canonised in 1947 and is the patron saint of Switzerland. The habit on the statue in the Jesuit Church is one of the most personal relics of him anywhere.
Tips for your visit
- For the best view of the facade, stand on the Chapel Bridge or on the Rathausquai across the river, especially in the late afternoon.
- It is a working church: keep quiet, and check for services or concerts before visiting.
- Walk the river: from the church it is a few minutes upstream to the Chapel Bridge and downstream to the Spreuer Bridge and the needle dam.
Nearby
- Chapel Bridge: the covered wooden bridge with its octagonal Water Tower, a few minutes' walk upstream.
- Spreuer Bridge: the second covered bridge, with its cycle of Dance of Death paintings, a few minutes' walk downstream.
- Ritter Palace: the Renaissance palace next to the church where the Jesuits ran their college, now the seat of the cantonal government.
- Musegg Wall: the medieval town wall with its row of towers on the hill above the old town, across the river.
See Lucerne with World City Trail
Our Lucerne scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 59 minutes of walking. The Jesuit Church is one of the stops, along with the Spreuer Bridge and the Nölli Tower on the Musegg Wall. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch or Chinese.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Lucerne.
Play the Lucerne scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Lucerne →
Play the outdoor escape game in Lucerne →
Facts checked in October 2026.