A Christianisation of Switzerland? Urban and Rural Transformations in a Time of Transition - AD 300-800

This thesis explores archaeological and historical data pertaining to the Christianisation of Switzerland between AD 300 and 800. Analysing published data from both urban and rural contexts, I explore three research questions: 1 – how did churches and associated buildings affect urban and rural spaces in Switzerland?; 2 – who were the ‘movers’ of the religion?; and 3 – how far did local topography and regional identities forge a Christian landscape? During the period examined, the region experienced a number of geopolitical changes: the end of Roman administration, the rise and fall of the Burgundian kingdom, and the gradual takeover by the Merovingian and later Carolingian Franks. Throughout these phases, the Church was a common institution and transformed urban, rural, and burial landscapes through the construction of cathedrals, funerary churches, chapels, and monasteries. Utilising an interdisciplinary approach, this thesis brings to light that Switzerland experienced multiple ‘Christianisations’ and that topographic factors and regional identities were intrinsic to the development of the Church.