our history

Built by the Diocese of Basel in 1962–1963 with the valuable support of many volunteers, and run until 2023 by a foundation under church law, the Centre Saint-François grew strongly from the 1970s to the 1990s thanks to the Church’s many activities.

From the 2000s onwards, the Centre needed to diversify by opening up to new audiences and welcoming groups beyond those linked to pastoral work, while remaining primarily focused on the activities of the Church.

Fully renovated in 2011, the Centre Saint-François truly turned towards a “commercial” opening in 2018, with the appointment of its first lay director.

Since June 2023, the Church has entrusted the house and its operation to a private foundation. The sole purpose of the Fondation Centre Saint-François (articles of foundation, article 6) is “to provide, through the Centre Saint-François, a place of welcome, renewal and human and spiritual formation. The Centre is open to groups and individuals from all walks of life; it offers accommodation, catering and the use of meeting rooms, a chapel and a park. True to its origins, the Centre particularly welcomes Christian groups.”

Resolutely contemporary and rich with the energy of half a century devoted to hospitality in the spirit of Saint Francis, the Centre Saint-François welcomes every person, community or company seeking its services, without distinction of faith and without proselytism.