4th-6th century: The north cathedral - An architectural achievement of the 4th-6th centuries

The north cathedral is, with the baptistery, the oldest building in the episcopal group. It was enlarged many times. In its first configuration, around 380 AD, it measured approximately 32 m long by 15 m wide. The apse, originally rounded on the inside and polygonal outside, was later moved eastward, enlarged, and complemented by side-annexes in the 6th century. The screen that separated the choir, an area reserved for ecclesiastics, pivoted in direction of the nave to form a solea, a narrow passageway used for processions or for the reading of sacred texts. An arch was built on one side above a venerated tomb at which the faithful came to pray. The cathedral was entered from the side, via a gallery along the south wall, which was probably used as a vestibule. Later on, three other passageways were built to form a rectangular atrium. Also outside, a second gallery against the west wall connected with the series of small cells built against the north wall. These rooms, equipped with floor heating pipes, were probably reserved for anchorites or monks.

3-D animations
ca. 400 BC	Prehistoric burial mound
170-100 BC	Tomb of an Allobrogian chieftain
70 BC-10 AD	New roads; Temple, dwelling, mausoleum
10-20 AD	The roman city; Commemorative building
50-200 AD	Fire in the cathedral district; Urban reorganisation; Pax Romana
150 AD	Commemorative terrace
200-390 AD	End of the early Roman Empire; The civitas, an administrative centre
4th century	Wooden building; Church of relics
4th century	Christian oratory
4th-6th century	The first cathedral; A baptistery and two cathedrals; Extension of the north cathedral
6th-8th century	The episcopal group; The third cathedral
9th-11th century	A single cathedral; The exterior crypt and cloister
12th century	The Romanesque cathedral
17th century-2006	Saint-Pierre Cathedral; The present cathedral
3-D images
1150 BC	Prehistoric burial mound
170-120 BC	Protohistoric settlement
ca. 100 BC	Tomb of an Allobrogian chieftain
ca. 100 BC	Burial enclosure
70-40 BC	New roads
40 BC - 10 AD	Temple, dwelling, mausoleum
40 BC	Mausoleum
40 BC	Interior of the mausoleum
10-40	The roman city
10-40	The roman city
17	Commemorative building
50-60	Fire destroys this part of the city
130-200	The Roman Peace
150 AD	Commemorative terrace
200-275	End of the early Roman Empire
275-350	The civitas, an administrative centre
4th century	Wooden building
4th century	Church of relics
ca. 350 AD	Christian oratory
ca. 350 AD	Christian oratory
ca. 380 AD	The first cathedral
ca. 380 AD	The first cathedral
5th century	A baptistery and two cathedrals
6th century	Extension of the north cathedral
6th-7th century	The episcopal group
7th-8th century	The east cathedral
9th-10th century	A single cathedral
11th century	The exterior crypt and cloister
12th century	The Romanesque cathedral
16th-17th century	Saint-Pierre Cathedral
16th-17th century	Saint-Pierre Cathedral
drawings
3rd-4th century	Wheat processing
4th century	Walls built in "opus africanus"
4th century	The monk's cells
4th-6th century	Doorway of the north cathedral
5th century	Liturgical furnishings of the choir
5th century	The bishop's reception hall
5th century	The mosaic pavement
5th-6th century	Teaching in the south cathedral
6th century	Baptism
7th-8th century	The east cathedral
7th-8th century	Liturgical furnishings in the east cathedral
11th-12th century	A cathedral on three levels
11th-12th century	The Romanesque crypt
13th century	The Gothic cloister
15th century	Mould of the "Clémence"
interviews
2006	What is archaeozoology? Interview with L. Chaix (extract)
2006	The archaeological excavation. Interview with G. Martignago & F. Cuénod (extract)
2006	Stucco ornamentation. Interview with I. Plan (extract)
2006	The emergence of Christian churches. Interview with J.-F. Reynaud (extract)
2006	What does an archaeologist do? Interview with C. Bonnet (extract)
2006	What does a museum designer do? Interview with M. Etter (extract)
2006	Late antiquity and the early middle ages. Interview with N. Gautier (extract)
perspectives
9th-11th century	The north cathedral
4th century	The baptistery - 4th century state
9th-11th century	The episcopal group
5th-10th century	The south cathedral
5th-6th century	Plan and section of the water supply to the baptisteries
5th century	The baptistery - 5th century state
6th century	The baptistery - 6th century state
7th-8th century	The east cathedral in the 7th-8th centuries
7th-8th century	The baptistery - 7th-8th century state
11th-12th century	The 11th-century cathedral
12th century	The Romanesque crypt
photos
2nd century BC-4th century AD	History of Geneva from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD
2nd century BC-4th century AD	Models and simulations of Geneva in the Roman period
100 BC	Tomb of an Allobrogian chieftain
100 BC	Tomb of an Allobrogian chieftain
100 BC	Tomb of an Allobrogian chieftain
1st century BC to 6th century	Some Roman-era objects found on the site
1st century BC to 1st century AD	Some Roman-era objects found on the site
1st century	Model of Geneva in the 1st century AD - detail
1st century	The wall of a large, 1st-century residence, probably belonging to a governor of the city
3rd-4th century	Floor of a room used to store and dry wheat, 3rd-4th centuries
IVe siècle	Detail of the model: the cathedral of Geneva in the 4th century
6th century	Model and map of 6th-century Geneva
6th century	Geneva in the 6th century
4th century	Facsimile of a 12-sided roman dice from the 4th century
4th-11th century	Model of the episcopal group showing the north, south and east cathedrals and the baptisteries
4th-11th century	Model of the episcopal group showing the north, south and east cathedrals and the baptisteries
4th-6th century	Threshold of the north cathedral
4th-11th century	Model of the episcopal group showing the north, south and east cathedrals and the baptisteries
4th-6th century	Stratigraphical cross-section of the floor of the north cathedral
4th-11th century	Model of the episcopal group - detail
4th-6th century	Model of the north cathedral
4th-6th century	Baptistery area
4th-6th century	Model of the north cathedral - detail
4th-6th century	Baptismal font
4th century	Small houses where monks lived were built against the wall of the north cathedral
4th-6th century	Baptismal font
4th century	Floor heating in the monks' cells
6th century	Model of Geneva in the 4th century
6th century	Geneva in the 4th century, after a drawing by G. Deuber (1992)
Ve siècle	Overall view of the floor of the bishop's reception hall, 5th century
Ve siècle	Mosaic pavement in the bishop's reception - detail
5th century	Detail of the mosaic floor
5th century	Detail of the mosaic floor
5th century	View of the successive extensions of the north cathedral
5th century	Remains of the mosaic pavement
5th century	Remains of the mosaic pavement
5th century	Model of the bishop's reception
7th-8th century	The east cathedral, 7th-8th centuries
7th-8th century	Decorated chancel, behind which there was a venerated tomb
7th-8th century	Sculpted stone from the east cathedral
7th-8th century	Remains of liturgical furnishings from the east cathedral
7th-8th century	Model of the east cathedral
7th-8th century	Model of the east cathedral - detail
XIe siècle	View from within the nave of the 11th-century cathedral
11th century	Remains of the 11th-century cathedral in the central area
11th century	View of the nave of the 11th-century cathedral
11th century	Model of the 11th-century cathedral
12th century	The 12th-century Romanesque crypt
12th century	The 12th-century Romanesque crypt
12th century	The 12th-century Romanesque crypt
12th century	The 12th-century Romanesque crypt
12th century	Sculpted stone reused in the Romanesque crypt
1976-2006	Film presenting the archaeological excavations of Geneva
1976	Digging begins under the Chapelle des Macchabées
1976-2006	Film presenting the archaeological excavations of Geneva
1978	Demolition of a 19th-century heating plant under the cathedral
1978	Demolition of a 19th-century heating plant under the cathedral
1978	Excavation of ecclesiastics' tombs
1978	Excavation of ecclesiastics' tombs
1978-1979	The baptismal fonts are excavated
1978-1979	Remains of a circular Romanesque crypt
1978-1979	The excavations under the floor of the present cathedral
1978-1979	The excavations under the floor of the present cathedral
1979	A room with a 5th-century mosaic is uncovered
1979	A room with a 5th-century mosaic is uncovered
1980	Monumental doorway of the Carolingian cathedral
1980-1981	Successive apses of the north cathedral
1981	Excavation of Maison Mallet
1981	Open day
1983	Excavation of the tombs of the former cemetery of Sainte-Croix
1984-1985	Building of the exhibition space within the site
1984-1985	A 4th century butcher's shop is discovered
1988-1989	a bronzesmith's workshop is discovered
1988-1989	A bronzesmith's workshop is discovered
1407	Imprint left by the moulding of the great bell,
1989	Final excavations of the second stage
1989	The roof slab is set into place
1992-1993	Excavation of stuccos from the 7th-century north cathedral
1992-1993	excavation of stuccos from the 7th-century north cathedral
2000-2001	An Allobrogian tomb (120 BC) is discovered
20th century	Model of the cathedral
2003	Excavation of a sarcophagus
2005-2006	New exhibition design and opening of the present site
2006	Saint-Pierre Cathedral square and entrance to the archaeological site
2006	Model of the archaeological site
2006	Interactive computer stations: 7 specialists discuss the archaeological site
2006	Central area, reading corner
2006	Saint-Pierre Cathedral
2006	The façade of Saint-Pierre Cathedral
2006	Model of the archaeological site
2006	Central area within the archaeological site
2006	Entrance and shop
2006	Saint-Pierre Cathedral and Lake Geneva
2006	Model of the archaeological site - detail
2006	Reading corner
2006	Bookshop
2006	The façade of Saint-Pierre Cathedral
2006	Audiovisual show
2006	Selection of publications
2006	3-D simulation of the evolution of the site from the 4th to the 21st century
2006	Postcards
2006	3-D simulation of the evolution of the site from the 4th to the 21st century
2006	Model of the north cathedral
2006	Saint-Pierre Cathedral square
2006	Model of the north cathedral - detail
2006	Entrance to the archaeological site
2006	Audio tour
2006	Entrance to the archaeological site
2006	Ticket counter
2006	Visitors in the archaeological site
2006	Visitors in the archaeological site
2006	Open day, December 2006
2006	Light animation of the main areas of the archaeological site
2006	Film about the 30 years of archaeological excavations, with C. Bonnet
2006	Central area, film presentation
2006	Visitors to the archaeological site
2006	Model of the archaeological site
2006	Central area within the archaeological site
2007	The present cathedral
recordings
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - English
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - Italian
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - Spanish
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - Japanese
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - French
5th century	The bishop's reception hall - German
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - English
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - Italian
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - Spanish
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - Japanese
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - French
7th-8th century	The east cathedral - German
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - Italian
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - Spanish
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - Japanese
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - French
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - German
2006	General presentation of the archaeological site - English
texts
2nd century BC - 3rd century AD	The Allobrogian fortified settlement of Geneva
3rd-4th century	Wheat processing
4th-11th century	The episcopal group - A constantly evolving architectural complex
4th-6th century	The north cathedral - An architectural achievement of the 4th-6th centuries
4th-8th century	A succession of baptisteries - An evolving architectural form
4th-6th century	The north cathedral - An architectural achievement of the 4th-6th centuries
4th-6th century	Door of the north cathedral
4th century	Walls built in “opus africanus”
4th–5th century	From diocese to capital
6th-11th century	From the Burgundians to the Holy Roman Empire
4th-11th century	The episcopal group - A constantly evolving architectural complex
5th-6th century	The water supply of the baptisteries
5th-10th century	The south cathedral - The second cathedral in the episcopal group
5th-10th century	Teaching in the south cathedral
5th century	The liturgical furnishings of the choir
5th century	The bishop's reception hall
5th century	The mosaic pavement
6th century	Baptism
4th century	Monks’ cells
7th-8th century	The east cathedral in the 7th-8th century - A church dedicated to the worship of relics
7th-8th century	The east cathedral
7th-8th century	Liturgical furnishings of the east cathedral
11th-12th century	A cathedral on three levels
11th-12th century	The 11th century cathedral - A monumental Romanesque church
11th-12th century	The Romanesque crypt
12th-14th century	The bishops of Geneva and the House of Savoy
13th century	The Gothic cloister
14th-15th century	The end of the wars
15th century – 16th century	The Reformation
15th century	Mould of the great bell “La Clémence”
1976 - 2006	Discovering of a remarkable site - The excavation of Saint-Pierre Cathedral
1976 - 2006	Discovering of a remarkable site - The excavation of Saint-Pierre Cathedral

Archaeological Site of Saint-Pierre Cathedral
Cour Saint-Pierre 6, CH-1204 Geneva / Tel: +41 (0) 22 311 75 74
Opening hours: every day, from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm