Geneva official chestnut tree

The International Monument to the Reformation (French: Monument international de la Réformation; German: Internationales Reformationsdenkmal), usually known as the Reformation Wall (French: Mur des réformateurs), was inaugurated in 1909 in Geneva, Switzerland. It honours many of the main individuals, events, and documents of the Protestant Reformation by depicting them in statues and bas-reliefs. The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, which was founded by John Calvin, and was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Calvin's birth and the 350th anniversary of the university's establishment. It is built into the old city walls, and the monument's location there is designed to represent the integral importance of the fortifications, and therefore of the city of Geneva, to the Reformation. The monument was the culmination of a contest launched to transform that part of the park. The contest involved 71 proposals from around the world, and was won by four Swiss architects: Charles Dubois, Alphonse Laverrière, Eugène Monod, and Jean Taillens (whose other design came third). The sculptures were then created by two French sculptors: Paul Landowski and Henri Bouchard.During the Reformation, Geneva was the centre of Calvinism, and its history and heritage since the sixteenth century has been closely linked to that of Protestantism. Due to the close connections to that theology, the individuals most prominently depicted on the Wall were Calvinists; nonetheless, key figures in other theologies are also included. At the centre of the monument, four 5 metre-tall statues of Calvinism's main proponents are depicted: William Farel (1489–1565) John Calvin (1509–1564) Theodore Beza (1519–1605) John Knox (c.1513–1572)To the left (facing the Wall, ordered from left to right) of the central statues are 3 metre-tall statues of: Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620–1688) William the Silent (1533–1584) Gaspard de Coligny (1519–1572)To the right (ordered from left to right) are 3 metre-tall statues of: Roger Williams (1603–1684) Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) Stephen Bocskai (1557–1606)Along the wall, to either side of the central statues, is engraved the motto of both the Reformation and Geneva: Post Tenebras Lux (Latin for After darkness, light). On the central statues' pedestal is engraved a Christogram: ΙΗΣ. The monument gave inspiration to one of the most important 20th century Hungarian poems, written by Gyula Illyés in 1946 under the title Before the Monument of Reformation in Geneva.

Geneva ( jə-NEE-və; French: Genève [ʒənɛv] (listen)) is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situated in the south west of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. The city of Geneva (ville de Genève) had a population of 203,951 in 2020 (Jan. estimate) within its small municipal territory of 16 km2 (6 sq mi), but the Canton of Geneva (the city and its closest Swiss suburbs and exurbs) had a population of 504,128 (Jan. 2020 estimate) over 246 km2 (95 sq mi), and together with the suburbs and exurbs located in the canton of Vaud and in the French departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie the cross-border Geneva metropolitan area as officially defined by Eurostat, which extends over 2,292 km2 (885 sq mi), had a population of 1,044,766 in Jan. 2020 (Swiss estimates and French census).Since 2013, the Canton of Geneva, the Nyon District (in the canton of Vaud), and the Pôle métropolitain du Genevois français (literally 'Metropolitan hub of the French Genevan territory'), this last one a federation of eight French intercommunal councils, have formed Grand Genève ("Greater Geneva"), a Local Grouping of Transnational Cooperation (GLCT in French, a public entity under Swiss law) in charge of organizing cooperation within the cross-border metropolitan area of Geneva (in particular metropolitan transports). The Grand Genève GLCT extends over 1,996 km2 (771 sq mi) and had a population of 1,037,407 in Jan. 2020 (Swiss estimates and French census), 58.4% of them living on Swiss territory, and 41.6% on French territory.Geneva is a global city, a financial centre, and a worldwide centre for diplomacy due to the presence of numerous international organizations, including the headquarters of many agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross. Geneva hosts the highest number of international organizations in the world. It is also where the Geneva Conventions were signed, which chiefly concern the treatment of wartime non-combatants and prisoners of war. Together with, for instance, New York City (global headquarters of the UN), Basel (Bank for International Settlements), and Strasbourg (Council of Europe), Geneva is a city serving as the headquarters of one of the most important international organizations, without being the capital of a country.In 2021, Geneva was ranked as the world's ninth most important financial centre for competitiveness by the Global Financial Centres Index, fifth in Europe behind London, Zürich, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. In 2019, Geneva was ranked among the ten most liveable cities in the world by Mercer together with Zürich and Basel. The city has been referred to as the world's most compact metropolis and the "Peace Capital". In 2019, Mercer ranked Geneva as the thirteenth most expensive city in the world. In a UBS ranking of global cities in 2018, Geneva was ranked first for gross earnings, second most expensive, and fourth in purchasing power.

The Bibliothèque de Genève (BGE, English: Geneva Library, Library of Geneva), founded in 1559, was known as Bibliothèque publique et universitaire (BPU, English: Public and University Library) from 1907 to 2006. It occupies different buildings around the city: the main site in Parc des Bastions, the Musée Voltaire, La Musicale and the Centre d’iconographie. It also manages the library in Villa La Grange.It focuses on the humanities and the social sciences with special emphasis on the Reformation, the Enlightenment and Genevensia (i.e. anything published in Geneva or whose author or subject is connected to Geneva).

The Calvin Auditorium or Calvin Auditory (French Auditoire de Calvin), originally the Notre-Dame-la-Neuve Chapel, is a chapel in Geneva, Switzerland, which played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. It is associated with John Calvin, Theodore Beza and John Knox. The auditorium lies directly adjacent to St. Pierre Cathedral in the Place de la Taconnerie. The austere Gothic-style building was constructed in the 15th century, on the site of earlier 5th-century religious buildings, and was originally dedicated to Notre-Dame-la-Neuve. From 1536, the time of Geneva's Reformation, it became a lecture hall where Calvin actively expounded his reformed theology: Bible studies were conducted here at 7:00 each morning. In 1559, it served as the original home of the University of Geneva. Once Geneva accepted the Reformation, it became a haven for Protestant refugees from all over Europe, and Calvin gave this building over for them to worship in their own language. It was also used by the Scottish reformer John Knox, during his exile in Geneva in the 1550s. Here he ministered to an English-speaking refugee congregation and developed many of the ideas that were to be influential in the Scottish Reformation. Subsequently, it became a place used by numerous Protestant refugee groups including Italian Waldensians, Dutch Reformed and Scottish Presbyterians. It is viewed by many Reformed churches throughout the world as a crucible of their faith. Some of them had great political influence, like the 1559 student of the academy Philips of Marnix, who corresponded after Calvin’s death with De Beze. He was influential in drafting the Union of Utrecht in the Netherlands, which promoted freedom of conscience for citizens. Effects of the influence of Auditoire visitors is documented in the Reformation Monument. A tour linking the Auditoire to other sites in the old town with great societal significance is available online.Over the years, the building deteriorated. In 1954, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches reached an agreement with the National Protestant Church of Geneva and launched a programme to restore the auditorium, which was completed in 1959. THe effort was led by Rev. Dr. Harrison Ray Anderson, Minister of Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church. Today, following in the tradition established by Calvin, the Auditoire is still used for worship in languages other than French. It hosts the congregation of the Italian Reformed Church, as well as being used by a congregation of the Church of Scotland as its main place of worship every Sunday.

Saint Pierre Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland is a former Roman Catholic cathedral that was later converted into a Reformed Protestant Church of Geneva church during the Reformation. It is known as the adopted home church of John Calvin, one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. Inside the church is a wooden chair used by Calvin.

Place du Bourg-de-Four is a city square in the Old Town of Geneva, Switzerland. It is a commercial center, with fountains, restaurants (with outdoor seating), gelaterias, and high-end shopping. The Place is also near Geneva's largest church, St. Pierre Cathedral.

The Musée Rath is an art museum in Geneva, used exclusively for temporary exhibitions. Its building is the oldest purpose-built art museum in Switzerland, and the original home of Geneva's Musée d'Art et d'Histoire. It is located on Place Neuve, in front of the old city walls, next to the Grand Théâtre and near the Conservatoire de Musique.

The Théâtre de Neuve was a theatre in Geneva, Republic of Geneva. In 1783, the original theatre was replaced with a new stone building, the Théâtre de Neuve, designed by Pierre-David Matthey, with three tiers of boxes surrounding the orchestra seats and an audience capacity of 1000. Nevertheless, Its stage was cramped, with very little room in the wings, and the orchestra pit could not seat more than 30 musicians. At the eve of the French Revolution, as waves of political unrest rocked Geneva, the new theatre's function was still to entertain foreign officers sent as reinforcements and seats were primarily reserved for sponsors and shareholders. As such, most of the Geneva population could not attend performances. The Théâtre de Neuve was destined to stand in place for less than a hundred years. Revolutionary troubles forced the theatre to close several times and it was used consecutively as a revolutionary club and a cotton mill. In October 1797, the theatre was definitely closed to any kind of performance, by decision of the authorities. It remained closed until the French annexed Geneva in April 1798. During this fifteen-year occupation, the theatre hosted several companies of French performers. When Geneva's independence was restored in 1813, the French troops left Geneva, and the actors followed them. The theatre reopened in 1817 and expanded its audiences and repertoire, including works by contemporary composers such as Rossini, Donizetti, Auber and Meyerbeer, Beethoven, Weber and even Wagner, whose Tannhäuser was heard in Geneva long before it was ever performed in Paris. Despite occasional performances by stars of the time, the quality of performance was usually below average, a mix of comedy, vaudeville, operetta and, occasionally, a more ambitious opera. The general trend was partial to the French repertoire, preferably light: Faust was a regular hit, but nowhere near La fille de Madame Angot in popularity.

The Geneva Haute école de musique (French: Haute école de musique de Genève HEM) is a higher music education institution in Geneva, Switzerland.

Romandy (French: Romandie or Suisse romande) is the French-speaking part of western Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 million people, or 22.8% of the Swiss population, lived in Romandy. The majority of the romand population lives in the western part of the country, especially the Arc Lémanique region along Lake Geneva, connecting Geneva, Vaud and the Lower Valais. French is the sole official language in four Swiss cantons: Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura. Additionally, French and German have co-official status in three cantons: Fribourg/Freiburg, Valais/Wallis, and Berne/Bern.

Grand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland. As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, officially opened in 1876, partly destroyed by fire in 1951 and reopened in 1962, after extensive refurbishments, which houses the largest stage in Switzerland. As an institution, it is the largest production and host theatre in French-speaking Switzerland, featuring opera and dance performances, recitals, concerts and, occasionally, theatre.During the 17th and early 18th centuries, Geneva was heavily influenced by Calvinist orthodoxy and it was not until the middle 1760s that the city agreed to the building of the Théâtre de Rosimond, Geneva's first opera house. Under the influence of Voltaire opera began to flourish at La Grange aux Etrangers and its successor theatre, the Théâtre de Neuve, both of which were located outside the walls of the city.

The Conservatoire de musique de Genève is a music school in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conservatory hosts 2,400 non-professional students. Since 2009, the professional courses have been led by the Geneva University of Music (Haute école de musique de Genève).