History of the villages of the Sion district (Valais)
The 13 documented localities of the Sion district, in the canton of Valais. Each page covers the origin of the name, the main stages of its history and its remains, with sources.
Towns and villages 10
Arbaz
Once a « third » of Ayent above Sion, Arbaz became a municipality in 1877 without obtaining the hamlet of Blignou. In 1924 the village partly burned down.
VSBramois
Given in 515 by the Burgundian king Sigismund to the abbey of Saint-Maurice, Bramois was a municipality until it joined the municipality of Sion in 1968.
VSDrône
A village in the municipality of Savièse, Drône was a Savoyard mayoralty attached to the castellany of Conthey until 1540.
VSGrimisuat
The canons of Sion appointed the parish priest of Grimisuat until 1920: the parish, attested from the 11th century, had depended on their chapter since 1193.
VSLes Agettes
In Les Agettes, above Sion, the primary sector employed 88 % of the working population in 1910 and only 1,8 % in 1990. The Mayens de l'Ours resort began in 1982.
VSSaint-Germain
The main village of the municipality of Savièse, Saint-Germain has a church rebuilt after the fire of 1475 and entirely decorated by Ernest Biéler in 1934.
VSSalins
From 1604 the town of Sion held the seigneurial rights over Salins through a vice-castellan. The municipality merged with Sion in 2013.
VSSavièse
The bishop of Sion had the castle of La Soie built here in 1219. In 1375 Bishop Guichard Tavel was murdered there. Six villages, and a territory that climbs to the Sanetsch pass.
VS · TownSion
Lived in almost without a break since 6200 BC, the site of the Petit-Chasseur dolmens became the seat of the bishops of Valais at the end of the 6th century.
VSVeysonnaz
Smallest municipality in Valais, a village and ski resort on the left bank of the Rhône above Sion, opened to tourism by ski lifts from 1961.
Sites 3
Château de la Soie
On a rocky ridge in the municipality of Savièse, the bishop of Sion built a fortress against Savoy around 1200. Bishop Guichard Tavel was murdered there in 1375.
VS · SiteTourbillon
Built around 1294 by Bishop Boniface de Challant on a hill in the municipality of Sion, the castle of Tourbillon was left in ruins by the fire of 1788.
VS · SiteValère
On the hill of Valère, in the municipality of Sion, a fortified church built around 1100 housed the cathedral chapter. Since 1883 it has held the history museum of Valais.