Busskirch is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Jona (SG) - Busskirch St Martin IMG 2217 ShiftN

Geography

The village is located along the northern shore of the ''Obersee'' lakeshore between

Jona Jona may refer to: * Jona, Switzerland, a village of the municipality Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland * Jona (river), in the cantons of Zürich and St. Gallen in Switzerland * Jona (album), ''Jona'' (album), an album by Jona Viray People with the giv ...

and Bollingen. Busskirch was part of the former municipality of Jona: On January 1, 2007, the former municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona merged to form the new political entity Rapperswil-Jona.

History

Roman era

Beginning in the 1st century A.D., Busskirch was a Roman lakeside settlement that served as a stage town on the intersection of the streets to Kempraten (Latin: '' Centum Prata'') respectively Zürich ('' Turicum''), Winterthur ('' Vitudurum'') and to Chur (''Curia Rhaetorum'') respectively on the waterway Walensee– Zürichsee to Rome's alpine route.

St. Martin Busskirch church

Busskirch is first mentioned in 842/843 A.D. as ''Fossonas ecclesiam'', in 854 as ''Fussinchirichun'' and in 1209 as ''Buschilche''. «''A little church dreaming on the lake''» wrote Pius Rickenmann, a poet from Rapperswil, in his poem ''Busskirch''. The early medieval Parish church of ''St. Martin Busskirch'' with its cemetery rests on the remains of a Roman building (1st to 4th century A.D.). Beginning in the 8th century, the village belonged to the Pfäfers Abbey. Busskirch is one of the oldest churches around the Lake Zürich. Even the citizens of Rapperswil had to attend services in Busskirch until Count Rudolf II of Rapperswil built his own church and a chapel next to

Rapperswil Castle Rapperswil Castle (Swiss German: ''Schloss Rapperswil'') is a castle, built in the early 13th century by the House of Rapperswil, in the formerly independent city of Rapperswil. The castle is located on the eastern ''Zürichsees western ''Obers ...

in 1253. In 1351 ''St. Martin Busskirch'' was incorporated by the monastery (until 1838). In co-operation with

the settlement formed an ''Allmendgenossenschaft'' (farmer's association), reigned by the Counts of Rapperswil, latter by the city of Rapperswil. In 1253 the parish churches of Rapperswil (''St. John's Church'') and Jona were established: ''St. Martin Busskirch'' lost its former importance and was in 1945 integrated in the Roman Catholic parish Rapperswil.

Points of interest

''St. Martin Busskirch'' Church, which due to its idyllic lakeside location is very popular for weddings, is a remarkable landmark on the upper Lake Zürich shore. Today visitors can see the Roman ruins excavated in 1975 underneath Busskirch church. Restaurant ''Seegartenkeller'' next to ''St. Martin'' church is a popular touristic destination. Jona (river) forms a small river delta near Busskirch and flows at ''Stampf'' lido in the upper Lake Zurich (''Obersee'').

Transportation

Between Busskirch and Rapperswil respectively

there is a busline, provided by ''Verkehrsbetriebe

Zürcher Oberland The Zürcher Oberland ("Zurich highlands") in Switzerland, is the hilly south-eastern part of the canton of Zurich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Töss Valley as far as the di ...

References

Literature

* Eugen Halter: ''Geschichte der Gemeinde Jona''. Schweizer Verlagshaus, Zürich 1970.

External links

Rapperswil-Jona
(official site) * {{authority control Villages in the canton of St. Gallen Former municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen Archaeological sites in Switzerland Rapperswil-Jona Populated places on Lake Zurich