St-Pierre-de-Clages was first Celtic, then Roman. In the 11th century, the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Martin d’Ainay in Lyon built the Romanesque church in the Cluniac style on the village main square.
This monument is one of the most interesting examples of how Carolingian art influenced architecture in Southern Switzerland. The church was built in a traditional Romanesque style using natural stones. It was mentioned for the first time in 1153 in a Pope Eugene II’s bull, but actually dates from more than 100 years earlier. The searches and recent renovation works (1963-1967) allowed cantonal archaeologist M. L’abbé François Olivier Dubuis to confirm that the building forms a homogeneous entity dating back to the first half of the 11th century, but for the two brick and tuff floors of the octagonal tower, which were erected later.
Most houses in the old town date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. St-Pierre-de-Clages is also home to the Swiss Book Town. Whether you are a long-time collector, a book lover, a passionate antiquarian or simply have an inquisitive mind, the booksellers of St-Pierre-de-Clages welcome you throughout the year to share their passion for books with you. They offer you a large choice of books ranging from rare editions to second-hand books, including old or out-of-print publications, and cover all areas of publishing.
