COIRE (the German Chur, Italian Coira, and Quera of the Romance language spoken in the district), the capital of the Swiss canton of the Grisons or Graubünden, at the foot of the valley of the Plessur, a short distance above the confluence of that river with the Rhone, in 46° 50' 54" N. lat. and 9° 31' 26" E. long. It lies 1830 feet above the level of the sea, and is overshadowed by the Mittenberg and Pizokelberg. The streets are narrow, and the general appearance of the place bespeaks its antiquity. The upper part of the town, or Bishop’s Quarter, was once surrounded with walls, and it is still distinguished from the lower portion as the almost exclusive residence of the Roman Catholic population. The cathedral church of St Lucius is its most remarkable building, ascribed in part to Bishop Tello of the 8th century, and deriving its name from a legendary British king, who is reputed to have suffered martyrdom in the town. Of antiquarian interest are the statues of the Four Evangelists, the ancient wood carvings, and several monuments by Holbein and Dürer. The episcopal palace on the other side of the court is believed to occupy the site of a Roman castle; and two ancient towers, probably dating from the 10th century, are popularly regarded as of Roman construction, the opinion being supported by deriving their names, Marsoel and Spinoel, from the Latin Mars in Oculis and Spina in Oculιs. The episcopal school is now administered by the canton, and contains a rich collection of native literature. In the lower town are situated the great town-house, with a public library and three stained-glass windows of the 16th century; the churches of St Martin and St Regula } the administrative buildings; and the hospital founded by Theodosius, a superior of the Capuchins. The ...