Image: detail of the angels in the mural painting (1933–1934) by Gino Severini, apse within the Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, Lausanne

Gino Severini (1883–1966), internationally renowned above all for his paintings associated with the Cubist and Futurist movements, created remarkable wall paintings in five churches located in the towns of Semsales, Fribourg, La Roche, Lausanne and Sion. In June, these sites will host a unique encounter between scientific research, art and storytelling.

The project: discovering Severini’s wall paintings in Switzerland

The project Gino Severini: unveiling his wall paintings in Switzerland was created to share with the general public the results of multidisciplinary scientific research, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Agora programme), on the history, artistic evolution, techniques and materials used by the Italian painter in his sacred commissions across the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud and Valais.

The initiative stands out for its interdisciplinary synergy between science and design, developed within SUPSI in Mendrisio (Department of Environment Constructions and Design) through the collaboration between the Conservation and Restoration sector of the Institute of Materials and Constructions and the Institute of Design.

The Severini itinerary and the web series 

At the centre of the tour is the Severini itinerary, a “distributed museum” connecting the five Swiss churches decorated by the Italian artist: Eglise Saint-Nicolas (Semsales), Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (La Roche), Eglise Saint-Pierre (Fribourg), Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption (Lausanne) and Eglise du Couvent des Capucins (Sion).

The itinerary will remain permanently accessible thanks to the installation of information totems equipped with QR codes at each location. By scanning the QR code, visitors will be able to access the project website and the episodes of a documentary web series produced by SUPSI in collaboration with the Conservatorio Internazionale di Scienze Audiovisive (CISA) in Locarno.

To highlight the project’s strong connection with the local area, each of the five churches will host the premiere screening of the corresponding episode of the web series. In addition, SUPSI researchers will provide a brief overview of the project’s findings and lead guided tours of Severini’s works in each church, encouraging direct dialogue and exchange with the public to explore the discoveries that emerged throughout the years of study.

The first event will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the Eglise de Saint-Nicolas in Semsales: the first church decorated by Gino Severini and completed one hundred years ago.

Regarding the significance of the initiative, Francesca Piqué, professor of Conservation Science for cultural heritage and project leader, states:

Through these activities, including the web series and a dedicated website, we wanted to “lift the veil” on the results obtained through archival and material research. The study of the wall paintings and of the pictorial matter from which they are made allows us to reconstruct Gino Severini’s working processes, the artist’s dilemmas, the use of pouncing techniques, the choice of pigments, and the physical effort involved in painting ‘a fresco’ on large surfaces. Our aim was to transform laboratory analyses into a narrative intertwining conservation science with Severini’s human story – between his philosophical correspondence with Jacques Maritain and the private sorrows that marked his life and remain impressed as signs of profound religiosity in his art. We seek to return to local and national communities the deeper meaning of this cultural and religious heritage.

Tour schedule

Screenings and guided visits are open to all interested visitors and do not require registration.

The five episodes of the web series will also be available on the dedicated website (after the preview on 12 June):

• Friday 12 June 2026, 17:00 | Curie (Grand-Rue 22) de l’Eglise Saint-Nicolas, Semsales
• Sunday 14 June 2026, 17:00 | Eglise Saint-Pierre, Fribourg 
• Monday 15 June 2026, 17:00 | Eglise Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, La Roche
• Tuesday 16 June 2026, 18:30 (after Mass) | Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, Lausanne
• Wednesday 17 June 2026, 17:00 | Eglise du Couvent des Capucins, Sion

The website dedicated to the project (www.ginoseverini.ch) will be launched in June in conjunction with the screenings in the churches.