St Beatus
The first «apostle» of Switzerland (died about AD 112)
It is said that St Beatus was the first “missionary” to be active in the territory of present-day Switzerland. His battle with the dragon symbolised the battle against paganism. He is believed to have lived as a hermit in a cave overlooking Lake Thun and to have died there in AD 112. The St Beatus Caves were a place of pilgrimage from the 12th century onwards. The saint was highly venerated there until the Reformation. During the Reformation, the Beatus shrine was the cause of disagreement between protestant Berne and catholic Central Switzerland. The entrance to the Beatus Caves was therefore bricked up and the chapel was dismantled.
Until 1947, Beatus was the patron saint of Switzerland. St Beatus’ memorial day is 9 May. Nowadays, the St Beatus caves, which lie on the Way of St James through Switzerland, are mainly a tourist attraction: a family experience in a natural setting