Ayer
Origin of the name Ayer
The form « Ayer » is recorded in 1296. Older forms, « Aier » and « Aiers » (1200) and « Ayers » (1227), are also reported but not yet confirmed. The name is said to come from the Franco-Provençal « ayer », meaning the sycamore maple.[1]
Founding of Ayer
Ayer, at 1'465 m in the Val d'Anniviers, comprised the villages of Ayer and Mission, the hamlets of La Comba, Cuimey, Mottec and Zinal, as well as isolated farms, mayens (seasonal pastures) and alpine pastures. Prehistoric cup-marked stones show that the site was visited early on. In 1327 Ayer was one of the quarters of the Val d'Anniviers, in the dizain (district) of Sierre. When the dizain ended in 1798, it formed a municipality with Mission and La Comba. Around 1900 people lived from cereals, livestock and cheesemaking. A former municipality of the district of Sierre, Ayer has been part of the municipality of Anniviers since 1 January 2009.[1][5]
History of Ayer
1296. First mention in the form « Ayer ».[1]
1327. Ayer is recorded as one of the quarters of the Val d'Anniviers, in the dizain of Sierre.[1]
1798. End of the dizain; Ayer forms a municipality with Mission and La Comba.[1]
1811-1821. Ayer is united with Vissoie and Grimentz.[1]
1820-1824. The hamlet of La Comba belongs to the municipality of Vissoie.[1]
1824-1904. Ayer holds shares of Vissoie together with Grimentz, the village being divided between the two municipalities.[1]
1834. Flood.[1]
1836. Start of the mining of copper, nickel, cobalt and arsenic, which lasted until the early 20th century.[1]
1838. Fire in the village of Mission.[1]
1856. An inn opens at Zinal. The resort has three hotels before 1914.[1]
1910. The primary sector employs 92 % of the working population.[1]
1912. Opening of the road from Vissoie to Ayer.[1]
1930. Ayer leaves the parish of Vissoie.[1]
1951. Opening of the road from Ayer to Zinal.[1]
1950s. The Gougra hydroelectric power station at Mottec, the Moiry dam and the growth of Zinal slow emigration.[1]
1966-2000. A Club Méditerranée operates at Zinal.[1]
1974. First Sierre-Zinal mountain race.[1]
1990. The primary sector accounts for only 2 % of the working population. Many residents work outside the municipality.[1]
2009. On 1 January, Ayer merges with Chandolin, Grimentz, Saint-Jean, Saint-Luc and Vissoie into the municipality of Anniviers.[1][4][5]
Population of Ayer
Sources and references: [1]
| 1850 | 700 (approximately) |
| 1880 | 818 |
| 1900 | 789 |
| 1960 | 408 |
| 2000 | 570 |
Historic sites in Ayer
Mission and the church of Sainte-Madeleine. The village of Mission has the parish church of Sainte-Madeleine of the former municipality, which became a parish in 1930. The village was ravaged by fire in 1838. Several chapels stand on the former municipal territory.[1]
Zinal. Hamlet at the head of the valley that became a resort: an inn in 1856, three hotels before 1914, a road from Ayer in 1951, a Club Méditerranée from 1966 to 2000 and the finish of the Sierre-Zinal race since 1974.[1]
Mottec and the Gougra power station. The hamlet of Mottec is home to the Gougra hydroelectric power station, linked to the Moiry dam, built in the 1950s.[1]
Remains in Ayer
Cup-marked stones. Prehistoric cup-marked stones attest early human presence on the territory of Ayer.[1]
Former mines. Copper, nickel, cobalt and arsenic were mined from 1836 to the early 20th century.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ayer » (Danielle Allet-Zwissig, version du 04.01.2017)
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Ayer » (version allemande)
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vissoie » (David Rey, version du 23.12.2016) (fusion de 2009 dans la commune d'Anniviers)
- Feuille fédérale 2008, p. 4542, Direction fédérale des mensurations cadastrales, changements de noms de communes (10.06.2008) : réunion de six communes en Anniviers au 1er janvier 2009
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Ayer
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