Why go
St. Leodegar and the old town make more sense when viewed as parts of a trading settlement whose value grew with the Gotthard route. The alliance of 1332 and the victory at Sempach explain why Lucerne became more than a small lakeside town.
The full story
A Benedictine monastery dedicated to St. Leodegar was established in the early medieval period, and the surrounding area came to be known as Luciaria. The present Church of St. Leodegar recalls that religious beginning. The precise date when Lucerne became a town is uncertain, so a single founding year gives a false sense of precision. Lucerne's position mattered increasingly as trade moved across the Gotthard route. Habsburg control grew in the late 13th century, setting the city among the political struggles around Lake Lucerne. In 1332 Lucerne made an alliance with Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. It was a practical response to regional tensions as well as a step in the early Swiss Confederacy. After the confederate victory at Sempach in 1386, Lucerne consolidated its control over surrounding territory. The lake and routes through the mountains were therefore central to the city's growth, not merely a scenic backdrop to it.