Mug Shot — «Lausanne - Château Saint-Maire»

City: Lausanne Country: Switzerland Edition: 2008 Icon Edition Belongs to: 427 users (18 trading, 161 seeking)

Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva. It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located 62 km northeast of Geneva. Lausanne is the fifth largest city of the country, with the entire agglomeration area having 336.000 inhabitants. The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee are located in Lausanne – the IOC officially recognises the city as the Capitale Olympique – as are the headquarters of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It lies in the middle of a wine region. The city has a 28-station metro system, making it the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transit system.

Château Saint-Maire is a castle in Lausanne, Switzerland, that serves as the seat of the cantonal government of Vaud. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The château was built from 1397 to 1425 by the Bishops of Lausanne to serve as their fortified residence. Begun under Guillaume of Menthonay, it was completed under his successor, Guillaume of Challant, and named after Saint Marius, the first Bishop of Lausanne. It served as the bishop's residence until 1536, when Berne captured Lausanne and secularized the bishopric. The Bernese installed a bailiff in the château and used it as an armory. Upon the creation of the canton of Vaud in 1803, it became seat of the cantonal government, a role it has retained.

photo by lucky
edited by mobydick74

  Switzerland, Lausanne, MIC, MIT, MIC/MIT

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