Chippis
Origin of the name Chippis
The form « Sepils » is attested in the 11th century. The origin of the name has not yet been explained, and the hypotheses put forward reportedly do not stand up to analysis.[1]
Founding of Chippis
Nobody knows who founded Chippis, and its medieval history remains little known. At 520 m above sea level, on the left bank of the Rhône at the foot of a steep slope, the village belonged to the episcopal lordship of Sierre. No noble family bore its name. From that period only the ruins of Beauregard castle remain, perhaps from the 12th century. First joined to Chalais, Chippis then became a municipality, whose present boundaries were fixed by an exchange of land with Sierre. In the 20th century the aluminium plant tied it closely to Sierre.[1]
History of Chippis
11th century. Mentioned as « Sepils ».[1]
12th century. Possible date of Beauregard castle, of which only ruins remain.[1]
1278. Mention of the chapel of Saint-Urbain, a daughter church of the parish of Chalais.[1]
1449. Mention of the community's first statutes.[1]
1798-1815. Chippis is joined to Chalais, then becomes a municipality.[1]
1802-1810. The Simplon road, built on the right bank of the Rhône, isolates the village.[1]
1834. Flood of the Navizance, which makes it necessary to dig the stream's present bed. A cobalt analysis laboratory opens.[1]
1853. Severe fire in the village.[1]
1856. The chapel of Saint-Urbain becomes a parish church. Silver-bearing lead is mined around this date.[1]
1868. A church is built.[1]
1879. A fixed bridge is built over the Rhône.[1]
1893. A power station is installed on the Navizance.[1]
1905. The aluminium plant is set up, causing a great industrial and demographic boom.[1]
1923. A new church is built.[1]
1936. End of gypsum mining.[1]
Population of Chippis
Sources and references: [3]
| 1798 | 67 inhabitants |
| 1850 | 166 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 282 inhabitants |
| 1910 | 887 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 978 inhabitants |
| 1990 | 1'635 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 1'491 inhabitants |
| 2025 | 1'626 |
Historic sites in Chippis
Church of Saint-Urbain. The chapel of Saint-Urbain, mentioned in 1278, remained a daughter church of Chalais until 1856, when it became a parish church. Churches were built in 1868 and 1923.[1]
Aluminium industrial site. The electrometallurgical complex set up in 1905 extends over Chippis and Sierre and turned the village into an industrial town. A power station had already been running on the Navizance since 1893.[1]
Primary school. Building in the Heimatstil style, reportedly constructed from 1906 to 1909.
Remains in Chippis
Ruins of Beauregard castle. The village's only medieval remains, perhaps from the 12th century, at the entrance to the Val d'Anniviers. The surviving masonry dates from the 13th or 14th century at the earliest. The castle belonged to the barons of Rarogne. Taken in 1387 by Count Amadeus VII of Savoy, it was restored and then finally destroyed in 1416 by the Valais communes during the Rarogne affair.[1][2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Chippis » (Danielle Allet-Zwissig, version du 30.12.2003)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Beauregard » (Werner Meyer, version du 25.04.2002)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Other villages near Chippis
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change