For the first time in history, a woman has taken on the role of watchman at Lausanne Cathedral, thus continuing an ancestral tradition.
The appointment has made the city a pioneer in equality, as it is the first time a woman has held this position since 1405.
At the time, the function of night watch was to keep an eye on the town and to warn the inhabitants of fire outbreaks. Today, it is mainly a question of perpetuating a tradition that is over 600 years old and of maintaining the symbolic link between local residents and their watch. Every night between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the Cathedral’s watch calls the hours to the inhabitants from the Belfry Tower.
Considered one of the most beautiful Gothic monuments in Europe, Lausanne Cathedral attracts over 400,000 visitors each year.
