Ritter Palace Lucerne
The Ritterscher Palace is arguably the most impressive Renaissance palace in old Lucerne. It was commissioned in 1556 by Mayor Lux Ritter.
Lux Ritter amassed great wealth as a mercenary leader and intended to build a residence in the style of the Florentine Renaissance, featuring heavy masonry and exquisite stonework.
Although this style was already a century old in Florence, it was revolutionary for Lucerne. Ritter recruited numerous builders from the South, who created an incomparable structure that has been preserved for centuries.
At that time, Lucerne had no more than 5,000 inhabitants, and most houses were made of wood. There were only a few private stone buildings, such as the still-standing Haus zur Gilgen or the long-demolished Hertenstein House, which was famously decorated with frescoes by Hans Holbein.
A renowned stonemason of the era was Giovanni Lyn, also known as Hans von Trient. He was initially reluctant to work for Lux Ritter. Ultimately, his fervent faith led to disaster: he was accused of heresy, found guilty, and beheaded.
On the day of his execution, Hans von Trient is said to have cursed Lux Ritter. Whether by coincidence or not, Lux Ritter died only a few days later.
At the time of Ritter's death, the three-story palace with its open courtyard was about two-thirds complete. His heirs were unable to continue the project, so the City of Lucerne took over and finished the construction.
Then came the era of Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen, who became the most powerful man in Lucerne. He ruled with such authority that he was nicknamed the "Swiss King."
In 1578, Pfyffer handed the building over to the Jesuits, whom he had invited to Lucerne. They established a church on the ground floor, as seen on the Martiniplan (the city map by Martin Martini). This church was later replaced by the larger Jesuit Church nearby. Martini’s copper engraving also shows that the courtyard was originally open to the south.
Following the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847 (the Swiss civil war), the Jesuits were expelled from Lucerne and Switzerland. All Jesuit property was seized by the state. Consequently, the Ritterscher Palace became the government building (Regierungsgebäude) of the Canton of Lucerne.
The third floor of the building houses the famous "Dance of Death" paintings by Jakob von Wyl. You can discover them during a 'Medieval City Walk' or a 'Nightwatchman Tour'.
Visitor Information
- The building is generally open to the public from Monday to Friday. However, it may be closed at any time for official government events or state receptions.
- Admission is free.
- When visiting, please respect the fact that the offices of the Cantonal Administration are located around the courtyard. You are kindly requested to keep noise to a minimum.
