From the origins to the Reformation

Date	Event	Part
58 BC	Caesar has the bridge at Geneva cut to halt the Helvetii; first written mention of the city	A
5th century	Geneva, capital of the Burgundian kingdom	A
1387	Franchises (charter of liberties) granted to the citizens by Bishop Adhémar Fabri	A
14th–15th centuries	Heyday of the Geneva fairs, successors to the Champagne fairs	A
1424	Opening of a branch of the Medici bank in Geneva	A
1462	Louis XI forbids French merchants to attend the Geneva fairs	A
8 March 1463	Letters patent granting Lyon four annual fairs	A
1460s	Transfer of the Medici branch to Lyon	A
1526	Treaty of combourgeoisie (co-citizenship) with Berne and Fribourg	B
1536	Adoption of the Reformation; independence of the Republic; arrival of Calvin	B
1536	First edition of the Institution de la religion chrétienne (Institutes of the Christian Religion) in Basel	B
1538	Expulsion of Calvin; exile in Strasbourg	B
1541	Return of Calvin; Ecclesiastical Ordinances; creation of the Consistory	B
1555–1557	Usury cases tried in Geneva studied by recent historiography	B
1559	Foundation of the Academy; definitive edition of the Institution	B
27 May 1564	Death of Calvin in Geneva	B

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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