Even one of the altars is made from 11 types of marble.вЂќДЄnywhere else, the town cathedral would hum with the chit-chat of visitors.

вЂњHe was ordered by the government at the time to include the number 11. вЂњPisoni ran riot with the idea,вЂќ said StГ¤hlin, as if still bewildered by the concept after all these years. That this tower hides a carillon of bells just shy of a dozen should come as no surprise. There are 11 doors, while the structureвЂ™s height is split into three parts вЂ“ of 11m each вЂ“ and it is all dominated by the 66m-high belfry. There are two classical fountains flanking the staircase вЂ“ one of Gideon and one of a devil-horned Moses вЂ“ each adorned with 11 fine taps that trickle water into basins below in the heat of summer. There are 11 rows of steps, followed by another 11, then a third set. Standing in front of its Romanesque faГ§ade, what strikes the onlooker is the calculated brilliance behind the cathedralвЂ™s frame. вЂњBut now, we must get going вЂ“ you still have to see our numerical masterpiece.вЂќ вЂњThis story will never die,вЂќ she told me as we watched the 11-hour clock finish its chimes. Her authority on the subject comes from growing up in the town and being happy to share her knowledge as a historian. But I wanted to delve deeper.ДЇor her part, StГ¤hlin doesnвЂ™t claim to be any kind of expert numerologist, only an enthusiast. More often than not, bemused visitors do little more than gaze at the oldest building in the city, the astronomical clock, all set about with golden stars, orbs and moving figures of a king, knight and skeleton. Some are time-worn and antiquated, some вЂ“ in the case of ENTER, SwitzerlandвЂ™s only museum devoted to computers and technology вЂ“ are resolutely modern. This collective ranges from the 15th Century to today. It is neither a gimmick nor the result of coincidence, and the town is home to 11 churches, 11 chapels, 11 fountains, 11 towers and 11 museums вЂ“ an astonishing architectural ensemble.

Solothurn, founded by the Romans 2,000 years ago but forgotten by many visitors today due to its proximity to nearby capital Bern, is a town preoccupied with 11. It helps reveal the townвЂ™s fascination with the number 11. The clock doesnвЂ™t just tell the time, albeit in a puzzling way. When its 11 cogs turn to chime its 11 bells вЂ“ courtesy of a harlequin dutifully striking a hammer at the random times of 11:00, 12:00, 17:00 and 18:00 вЂ“ the metalwork sculpture performs the Solothurner Lied, the cityвЂ™s unofficial anthem. The clock, with its 11-hour dial and number 12 missing, is a confusing anomaly to any unsuspecting passer-by. And it is a key to a curiosity unknown even to most Swiss. For hidden in plain sight, on the west wall of an investment bank, is a wall-mounted clock. We had to hurry.Д¬rossing a footbridge over the Aare River, she cut left on Klosterplatz, pressing on past a grand 18th-Century warehouse вЂ“ rushing, rushing вЂ“ to a place that would reveal much about the history and extraordinary obsession of this little-known town in the shadow of SwitzerlandвЂ™s Jura Mountains. Eleven was the most auspicious time to meet in the city, sheвЂ™d emailed a few days prior, but it was equally important for us not to be late for midday. вЂњAt 12:00, we need to be at our 11-hour clock,вЂќ she said, all aflutter upon my arrival. On a recent morning, at precisely 11:00, Therese StГ¤hlin was waiting in silence outside the entrance to the baroque town of Solothurn, clock-watching.

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