Jesuit church with college, Catholic church building in Solothurn, Switzerland

The Jesuit Church of the Assumption in Solothurn is a Baroque wall-pillar church built from 1680 to 1689, probably to plans by Jesuit Heinrich Mayer. Its two-storey facade has Tuscan pilasters below, Ionic above, and a triangular gable crowned by a 1688 statue of the Virgin Mary in Solothurn limestone by Johann Peter Frölicher. The interior has three rectangular bays, galleries, a transept-like widening and a rounded choir.

The Jesuit church was built from 1680 to 1689, probably to plans by the Jesuit Heinrich Mayer, and consecrated in 1689. The aristocratic Grand Council had called the Jesuits to Solothurn in 1646 for Counter-Reformation purposes; their college was erected from 1676 to 1679. French royal funds, from the ambassador residing in Solothurn, and patrician families financed the complex. After Pope Clement XIV dissolved the order in 1773, the college continued and services were still held.

The church served as the heart of the Jesuit college and remains central to the city's religious life today. Its ornate interior reflects the importance the Jesuits placed on creating a space for both worship and education.

The church is located in the old town and is easily reached on foot from the city center. Visitors should check opening times in advance, as they may vary depending on services and religious celebrations.

Since 1997 the church's Lapidarium has housed the Solothurn Stone Museum, displaying stone finds from the town. The baroque facade is crowned by a statue of the Virgin Mary carved in Solothurn limestone by Johann Peter Frölicher in 1688, and the gable coat of arms refers to the facade's donor, King Louis XIV of France.