SWISSBLISS
SWISS LUXURY TRAVEL BLOG
Three Great Museums in Geneva, Switzerland
This beautiful museum is housed in a building from the early 20th Century and expands over four floors. As might be expected from a luxury watch brand, the museum is elegant and plush and has over 2000 extraordinary pieces on display dating as far back as 1540.
Watches, war and fine bone china
The immaculate and gleaming display cases are full of highly decorated examples of timepieces some quite surprising, such as pistols and harps, set in elaborate jewelry and gorgeous accessories. Of particular note is the exceptional collection of portrait miniature enamel work that is so colourful and tiny that the artists must have gone blind creating these works of art.
For watch lovers, as expected, there is a very impressive collection of Patek Philippe watches, including watches enjoyed by royalty from Queen Victoria to the King of Siam. There is also a lot of information on some of the most complicated watches in the world. The Museum also houses important clocks from other makers and has several examples of early clocks that only showed the hour.
Geneva became the centre of watchmaking after the Huguenot refugees brought the manufacture of timepieces with them. As Calvin had declared a law against the pursuit of wealth, Geneva’s goldsmiths were barred from manufacturing jewelry and so turned their trade towards watchmaking. The city’s goldsmiths soon exported the beautiful timepieces they produced to the Orient and the American colonies where they were highly prized by royalty, nobility and the emerging business classes.
I would really recommend following the guided tour to make the most of this museum. During the tour, the guide not only points out exceptional timepieces providing details on some of the most beautiful creations, but also explains the history of Swiss watchmaking and the history of Patek Philippe. I highly recommend a visit to get a glimpse into this world of exceptional craftsmanship. During the week there are two watchmakers working behind glass, taking care of recent museum purchases.
Photo credits: Patek Philippe Museum
1. Patek Philippe Museum
2. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
This unique museum is a place for reflection; it invites visitors to relive the humanitarian adventure. The exhibitions are articulated around three themes: defending human dignity; restoring family links; and reducing natural risks. Each of the three sections is designed by a different architect and offers a modern and thought-provoking design with some very surprising touches.
The first section on defending human dignity takes you on a brief historical tour of the Red Cross movement and covers the founding principles of the Red Cross movement. The décor is dark and is intended to provoke strong emotional reactions in the visitor, to make them reflect on what constitutes human dignity.
The area that really stood out to me was the exhibition on restoring family links. To access this part of the exhibition you have to navigate your way through a narrow, dark passage hung with full heavy metal chains. This is just one of many highly symbolic features you will come across whilst visiting this museum. In the first part of the room, 6 million index cards are on display, documenting what happened to 2 million detainees during the First World War. Further along, you come across “historical bookmarks” on the missing people of Srebrenica and the Rwandan conflict. Both are very sobering testimonies of some of the terrible conflicts that have taken place in the past 20 years. And in the last part, there’s the Chamber of Witnesses where you can hear the testimonies of four people affected by war, including an Al Jazeera journalist detained at Guantanamo and a survivor of the Rwandan genocide.
There is also a section on reducing natural risks that documents the impact of natural disasters and climate change on local communities. Built using paper TUF made from recycled cardboard, an inexpensive material used to rebuild temporary buildings, be it shelters or school, after natural disasters, it gives the visitor a warm and comfortable feeling thus illustrating that temporary shelters do not necessarily have to be shabby.
Lastly, there is a permanent exhibition of the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and how it works to improve knowledge of and compliance with International Humanitarian Law around the world. The use of an audio guide is essential.
3. Ariana Museum
Built at the end of the 19th Century, this palatial building, set in a lovely, big park, was originally designed to house a museum where ceramics and glass would be displayed alongside paintings, sculpture and more. As you enter the majestic hall, your eyes are immediately drawn up to the beautiful richly decorated ceiling. Today it is the only Swiss museum, and one of the most important museums world wide, to offer a comprehensive overview of the history of ceramics and glass.
The collection includes over 25’000 objects retracing 12 centuries of ceramic making from the Middle Ages until today; it starts with a Mesopotamian dish from the 9th Century. From there on, the pieces exhibited show the continuation of the development of ceramics, in Europe, and the influence of one manufacture on another, in design, colour, technique. Several display cabinets showcase the arrival of Chinese ware and its powerful impact on practically the majority of European design. The big leap in innovation comes when the colour pink is introduced which allows artists to enhance their work with more subtle colours and finer painting strokes.
Don’t miss the magnificent Majolica plate that depicts “The Abduction of Helen, dating from 1535, from Urbino, a fine example of Italian Renaissance work. The Museum also shows a fine selection of European earthenware, with mythological, floral, hunting scenes and religious themes. Porcelain is also given a special place in the Museum. The elegant, sophisticated figurines of Meissen, the beautiful Sèvres dishes are one of many highlights.
And if you are visiting, you can enjoy a light lunch at the museum’s restaurant located on the stunning first-floor gallery, surrounded by marble pillars. The restaurant, catered by the hotel school, le Vieux Bois, serves a variety a “dish-of-the day” and a variety of salads and bagels.
For more information visit the museum's respective websites here:
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International Red Cross Museum
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