St. Peter und Paul, Catholic church in Stans, Switzerland

St. Peter and Paul is a Catholic church in Stans featuring a three-nave basilica layout with early-Baroque architecture built in the 1640s. A Romanesque bell tower from an earlier structure rises above the newer building.

The Romanesque bell tower was built in the 12th century as a free-standing structure and was later incorporated into the Gothic church of the 14th century and the present early-Baroque church, which was built between 1641 and 1647 to plans by Jakob Berger of Sursee. In 1571 the tower received its pointed spire, replacing a pyramidal roof. The largest bell was cast in 1531 by Peter III Füssli of Zurich.

The church maintains its position as a class A Swiss cultural property, recognized in the national inventory for its architectural and historical importance.

The main entrance is on the north side, reached by a tall pyramidal staircase under a porch; the choir and the tower with its clock gables stand to the south. The interior is lit by daylight through numerous clear-glazed windows. The church is a class A Swiss cultural property of national significance (KGS no. 4196).

The Romanesque bell tower, built in the 12th century, stood free before being absorbed into the Gothic church of the 14th century and then into the present early-Baroque building, making it part of three successive churches. Its spire, added in 1571, carries a rotating weathervane of a rooster, a crescent moon and a star.