St-Saphorin Church

St-Saphorin

The first Catholic church in Lavaux, the Church of St-Symphorien was built around 590 AD on the ruins of a Roman villa in the former village of "Glerula". This village was destroyed in 563 AD, when the landslide in "Tauredunum" caused a devastating tidal wave on Lake Geneva. Founded by Bishop Marius, the new parish gradually give its name to the rebuilt village. The ruins of the Glerula villa can be visited in the basement of the Church.

The Church of St-Saphorin that we see today was built by Sébastien de Montfalcon in 1520. Shortly after its construction, in 1536, the Church changed to protestant during the Bern invasion. It is still a reformed Church today. This spiritual place, as well as the underground Roman ruins, its antique furniture, its original stained glass windows and the three 16th and 17th century bells, are classified as important national historic monuments.