The Zur Gilgen House and Tower

Zur Gilgen House and Tower, one of the most impressive buildings of Old Lucerne.

The Zur Gilgen House and the adjoining Baghard Tower were built in the early 16th century by Melchior Zur Gilgen and have remained in the possession of his descendants, who still reside there today.
In the mid-18th century, the house underwent Baroque renovations both inside and out, while the Baghard Tower, now known as the Zur Gilgen Tower, preserved its original architectural style.

Between 1830 and 1836, the Papal Nunciature was housed in the Zur Gilgen House. Later, it served as a guesthouse, with its most famous visitor being Victor Hugo.

Detail from the Martini plan (1597), Zur Gilgen House with Tower .

As we can see on the Martiniplan from 1597, the Zur Gilgen House had a Gothic style and stood directly by the water. After the "Brandgässli" fire in 1833, the Rathausquai was filled up with debris from the fire, and the Zur Gilgen House got a walled front garden.
To the south, the Schwanenplatz was also filled up. Since then, the house no longer borders directly on the lake.
Today, the shooting slits on the Zur Gilgen Tower, which were used for defense, can still be seen. 

The Zur Gilgen Haus, Xaxer Schwegler (1832-1902)

The Lucerne artist Xaver Schwegler painted the artwork at the end of the 19th century. The area now known as Schwanenplatz was then called Schifflände and was expanded during the land reclamation for Schweizerhofquai. While the Hof Bridge and parts of the city wall were demolished, the Zur Gilgen House with its round tower, the Water Tower, and the tower with St. Peter’s Chapel—visible in historical depictions—have been preserved.