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Fey

Canton of Valais · District: Conthey · No published figure for the locality; the municipality of Nendaz has 7'352 inhabitants (31.12.2025, provisional FSO figure)
Part of the municipality of Nendaz
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Fey

Fey appears in documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, but its name has never been explained.[1]

Founding of Fey

Fey is a village of the municipality of Nendaz, at 790 m above sea level, on the main road between Aproz and Basse-Nendaz. It is known for its apricots and sunshine. Several small mountain streams cross it, the largest of which, the Bisse Vieux, waters the apricot orchards. Its founding is not dated. In the Middle Ages Fey, like the other villages of Nendaz, belonged to the castellany of Conthey. It was also the seat of a métralie, which the de la Tour-Châtillon family granted as a hereditary fief to a métral.[1][2][8]

History of Fey

12th-13th century. Like most villages of Nendaz, Fey appears in documents of this period.[1]

Early 14th century. The de la Tour-Châtillon family holds the métralie of Fey.[1]

1319. On 3 July Thomas du Châtellard frees Nicolette, widow of Perrodi, of Fey, a tallage-paying subject of Nendaz, for 4 Saint-Maurice pounds and a yearly rent of 3 sols.[1]

1322. Perrod de la Tour invests a certain Perret with the métralie by handing him a white staff. Perret pays him liege homage.[1]

2000. On 12 December the rupture of the Cleuson-Dixence penstock triggers a flow of mud and rock in the area of Condémines and Fey. Two chalets and farm buildings are swept away, and three people are missing. The flow rolls 1'000 m down the slope and reaches the Rhône, which floods for a time. Several people are evacuated.[3][4][5]

2005-2010. The damaged section of the penstock is backfilled over 117 m, and the accident zone is bypassed by a deep by-pass. Work begins in 2005, and the Bieudron power station produces its first kilowatt-hours in January 2010.[3]

Sources

  1. Lucien Lathion, « Nendaz au moyen âge », communication à l'assemblée de la Société d'histoire du Valais romand, Nendaz, 24 mai 1931, via RERO DOC
  2. Nendaz Tourisme, « Fey »
  3. Grande Dixence SA, « Cleuson-Dixence. À la découverte d'un aménagement hydroélectrique unique au monde », brochure technique, 2024
  4. swissinfo.ch, « Three feared dead after huge landslide hits Valais », 13.12.2000
  5. International Water Power & Dam Construction, « Grande Dixence: an engineering achievement », 10.08.2010
  6. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
  7. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (Fey Nendaz)
  8. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Conthey (châtellenie, district) » (Maurice Terrettaz), version de 2001 remaniée le 11.03.2004

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