St. Jakob Battle chapel, Battle chapel in Sempach, Switzerland

St. Jakob is a chapel built in 1472/73 above the town of Sempach on the road to Hildisrieden. Its northwest wall carries a large fresco of the 1386 battle, with Winkelried pressing down the spears and the Sempachersee behind the town. A small charnel house from 1594 stands by the chapel, and a stone cross marks where Petermann von Gundoldingen is said to have fallen.

The chapel was built in 1472/73 to commemorate the Battle of Sempach of 9 July 1386, in which troops from Lucerne and central Switzerland defeated a Habsburg army under Duke Leopold of Austria. A legend holds that a memorial stood where Leopold fell, but this is unproven. Renovated in 1551–1554 and heavily remodelled in 1638–1641, it was raised by about 50 cm in 1747 under treasurer Aurelian zur Gilgen, with the windows lifted and a west porch added.

The chapel is dedicated to James the Elder, not to the battle site. Since 1886, the side and rear walls have listed the names of fallen Confederates and the coats of arms and names of Habsburg nobles who died, with Arnold von Winkelried recorded as «Erni Winckelried». A procession is still held on the battle anniversary, the last Saturday in June, with the stone cross outside as one of its stations.

The chapel sits in an elevated position that is accessible from most local paths and offers good views of the surrounding area. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as the climb to the entrance can be somewhat steep.

The interior walls are covered with detailed frescoes depicting a medieval confrontation from the region's past. These images provide visitors with a visual record of an event that shaped the area.