Solothurn is a picturesque town in northwest Switzerland known for its unusual affection for the number 11.
Almost everything here is arranged so that the “magic” number 11 is found everywhere, or at least as often as possible. Solothurn has 11 churches, 11 historical fountains, 11 museums, 11 towers, etc. And on the city square, a bizarre clock counts down the time, on the dial of which there are 11 numbers instead of the generally accepted 12.
Despite the fact that every inhabitant of Solothurn is well aware of this peculiarity of the city, the origins of such a strange superstition are a complete mystery. Local legend says that once upon a time magic elves descended from the nearby Weissenstein Mountain and brought happiness to the townspeople. And since "eleven" in German sounds like "elf", the grateful Zoloturnovites decided to connect their fate with this number.
According to another belief, it was taken from the Bible - in order for the higher powers to protect the local residents and they did not know the lack of anything and did not know the troubles. However, one thing is certain: Solothurn's obsession with the number 11 goes back centuries.
The first mention of the mysterious superstition dates back to 1252, when it was decided that the city council should consist of 11 members. Then, in 1481, Solothurn became the 11th canton (administrative-territorial unit) of the Swiss Union. A century later, the city was divided into 11 protectorates. And the fact that 11 medieval societies, or guilds, figured in its history, was hardly a coincidence.
Another striking illustration of this tradition is the local Cathedral of Saints Ursa and Victor, designed by the Italian architect Gaetano Matteo Pisoni.
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The construction took 11 years. It has 11 doors, 11 bells and 11 altars, made of 11 different types of marble. All the altars are visible from only one place - these are 11 black stones in the nave. In addition, the cathedral is approached by a staircase consisting of three flights of 11 steps each. Parishioners sit on 11 rows of benches, and the number of pipes of the large organ is a multiple of 11. The height of the Romanesque façade is 11 meters, and the distance from the base of the tower to the weather vane is again 11 meters.
Many local holidays also fall on the 11th of a month.
Here is such a town "with a strangeness", although this is the only strangeness, but otherwise Solothurn is quite ordinary, patriarchal and small: today only about 20 thousand people live in it.
Victoria Prime