Spiesshof

The Spiesshof

The Basel audio-guided tour has you discover the Spiesshof, one of the discreet treasures of the old town, a remarkable witness to Renaissance architecture.

A Renaissance palace

The Spiesshof was built between 1585 and 1590 by the architect Daniel Heintz the Elder, one of the important figures of the Renaissance in Switzerland. It was originally a patrician residence, an urban palace intended for an influential family. Its elegant façade, rhythmed by engaged columns and structured lines, illustrates well the Renaissance style, still rare in Basel at the time, while keeping a late Gothic heritage, visible notably in its great vaulted hall. The building testifies to a period of transition in architecture.

What there is to see

The façade of the Spiesshof, with its columns and its structured lines, stands out in the old town by its Renaissance elegance, still little widespread in Basel at the end of the sixteenth century. The building is also associated with a darker history, that of a sixteenth-century religious leader whose writings were condemned after his death, which has nourished a local legend. Today protected and private, the building can be discovered from the street, where one takes the time to observe its details.

Practical information

The Spiesshof is in the old town of Basel. A protected and private building, it is generally closed to the public; its Renaissance façade can be contemplated from the street, along the walk and on the level.

When was the Spiesshof built?

Between 1585 and 1590, by the architect Daniel Heintz the Elder, as a patrician residence of Renaissance style.

Can you visit the Spiesshof?

No, it is a private building generally closed to the public; one can however admire its Renaissance façade from the street.