Château Saint-Maire, Medieval castle in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Château Saint-Maire is a large cube-shaped castle measuring 25 by 23 metres, with walls 2.80 metres thick. Its lower part is grey molasse, topped by a red brick storey with machicolations and corner turrets. The four-sided roof rises 13.50 metres to a ridge with two points.
The fortress was built between 1397 and 1425 under Bishop Guillaume of Menthonay and served as the residence of Lausanne's bishops until 1536. After the Reformation, it transitioned to secular use and became the region's administrative center.
The castle's name comes from Marius of Avenches, the late 6th-century bishop who moved the bishopric from Avenches to Lausanne. A statue of Major Davel stands on the main facade; he spent his last night near the former gate in April 1723 before being beheaded at Vidy.
The castle stands at the northern end of the Cité hill, at Place du Château. It is the seat of the Vaud cantonal government and cannot be visited inside. Visitors can walk around the exterior; the terrace added in 1841–1844 and the surrounding streets allow views of the molasse base and the red-brick upper storey.
The fortress features modified Ghibelline merlons that were filled during the 16th century to strengthen the structure. Windows were also fitted below the eaves to handle the region's damp climate.
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