The Abbey Church

Payerne’s Abbey Church, a gem of Romanesque architecture in Switzerland, was built in first third of the 11th century on the foundation of previous churches. Payerne was a Clunisian priory from the 10th century, and therefore received donations from the kingdom of Burgundy. Payerne’s current church has adopted various features of Clunisian architecture, in particular the chevet with its staggered apses and the two-storied structure on the west end, which houses some remarkable fresco paintings.