Chapel of St Peter
Location, Object
City of Solothurn, Canton of Solothurn. Chapel of St Peter (St Peterskapelle). Built and decorated 1651–1653 at the initiative at the collegiate chapter of St Ursus and the local patrician Viktor vom Staal; renovated 1969–1974.
Emblems (27)
Context
I.1–17: Nave, boarded ceiling divided into 25 panels with 5 tempera portraits of martyrs of the Theban Legion and 17 emblems with Latin mottoes.
II.1-10: Choir, frescoed groin vault with 10 emblems with Latin mottoes in stylised frames, two of which (nos. 9 & 10) are now hidden behind the high altar; all in rather poor condition.
Authorship, Date
Artist unknown, painted c. 1653/1654; renovated and (nos. I.1–17) partly recreated from fragments 1970–1972.
Significance
Praise of the virtues of the Christian soldiers and martyrs of the Theban Legion.
Source
Some of the mottoes can be found in early emblem books, but no source has yet been identified.
Literature
Kdm SO IV: 158–169; KF 3: 754–755; Graf 1974: 151, 166; Walz 1975; Loertscher 1978: 343–346; Carlen 1987: 60.
exterior from west.
exterior from north.
interior from north-west.
choir with altar (1653) and frescoed groin vault.
interior from choir (east).
nave, panelled ceiling, view from choir.
choir, frescoed groin vault.
choir, frescoed groin vault with emblems II.1 & II.3.
choir, frescoed groin vault with emblems II.4 & II.2.
panelled ceiling (portraits of martyrs and emblems).
A carpenter’s axe held over wooden beams.
EX VULNERE PULCHRIOR. TENTAMEN MONSTRAT.
A landscape [or a river? unclear].
PATIENTER FERENDUM QUOD NECESSE EST.
Coat of arms of Solothurn.
SUB CUSTODIA LEONUM FIAT SALUS CIVITATIS.
Stones [on a river bank?].
VERITAS PREMITUR NON OPPRIMITUR.
A hammer held over an anvil with a red cushion.
NONNE DOMUS CANTU SONAT. DE PRIMORUM ACIE.
A river; trees on its banks.
SECUS DECURSUS AQUARUM PLANTAVIT VOS DOMINUS [cf. Ps 1:3].
A city [Solothurn] on a river [Aare].
CIVITATEM IUSTIS PARAVIT CURAM EORUM GERENS.
A tree with ripe fruit (olives?).
DE TERRA SITIENTI EOS AD AQUAS VITÆ VOCAT [cf. Isa 53:2].
Grape vines full of fruit.
SUPER AQUAS MULTAS PLANTATA EST: UT FACIAT FRONDES ET PORTET FRUCTUM EZECH.17[:8].
A flower.
SICUT VER PROINDE FRAGRAS SOL ODORUM ATQUE FLORUM.
A river between lush meadows.
FLOREBUNT RIGANTE DEO CONCORDIA ILLUSTRES.
The rising sun above a river landscape.
TERROR ABIT NOCTIS. POST TENTATIONEM CONSOLATIO.
A hand holding a hammer next to a red precious stone and a chisel.
QUASI LAPIDIS VIRTUS PROBATIO ERIT IN ILLIS.
A river.
VICTORES NON VICTI. VICTRIX PATIENTIA DURI.
Coat of arms of Solothurn.
GLORIOSO PARTO TRIUMPHO. TELA PRÆSTABUNT.
A meandering river.
SIC VITAM INVENIS. SPES ALTERIUS VITÆ.
A hand holding a pair of scissors next to a blossoming tree in an enclosed garden.
FOLIA EIUS PULCHERIMA ET FRUCTUS EIUS NIMIS [Dan 4:9].
A hand holding a fishing rod.
PURUM INCLINATUR AD TACTUM.
A hand holding a sceptre towards the ground.
[Motto damaged.]
A meadow with flowers [?].
SUNT ET SUA SIDERA ERRÆ.
Flowers.
EST ET SUA FLORA SEPULCHRO.
An altar.
STAT VIRTUS ABSQUE SEPULCHRO.
A dog [?].
NON SEMPER DORMIO.
A man holding a torch [?].
IN APRICUM PROFERET ÆTAS [Horace, ep. I.6.24].
A tomb with a human skull, bones and an ouroboros.
[Beginning of motto lost] …SAET.
A fountain and a bridge.
LABUNTUR IN ALTUM.
[illustration repr. from Graf 1974: 151]
Swimming swans.
NON EST MERGUS UBI CANDOR.
[illustration not available]
Copyright note: Added 2012, revised 2026. All photos (except emblem II.9) taken by the author, August 2011. Floor plan reproduced from Kdm SO IV: 164.