Switzerland has a lot of culture to offer. Foreign artists have always settled in Switzerland while Swiss artists have provided important stimulus for the international scene of art.
In Switzerland there are over 700 museums and public collections. The most important institutions are the Swiss Regional Museum Zurich and the museums of art in the cities of Basel, Berne, Geneva and Zurich. Especially popular is the Fondation Gianadda in Martigny.
History of art
Switzerland's history of art is as varied as its landscape. Switzerland has always been open for art and culture which is why influences from neighboring cultures (German, Austrian, Italian and French) can be recognized.
This is why the thousands of monuments do not really reveal typical national Swiss art. Typical Swiss works of art can mainly be found within the communities, in the valleys or the regions. Christianity above all and later on the Protestants influenced many cultural buildings. Around 820 the famous plan of the monastery in St Gallen was developed. The monastery library with its magnificent interior architecture and its precious treasures has been declared world cultural heritage.
The art of construction and living
The Swiss art of construction and living shows a lot of independence. There are not only differences between urban and rural areas but also between the different regions. Picturesque villages developed through joined buildings in lanes and roads but also through uniform quarters.
Switzerland's most individual constructionn culture is that of farm buildings. First of all it orientates itsself by climatic conditions and practical needs. The picture shows a typical Bernese farm with a hip roof.
