Mission
Origin of the name Mission
In the mid-19th century a tradition derived the name from the first missionaries, who reportedly converted the people of the Val d'Anniviers to Christianity.[2]
Founding of Mission
Mission is a compact village of the former municipality of Ayer, where two rivers meet, about one league above Vissoie. When it formed is not recorded. Since the late 18th century it has shared the fortunes of Ayer, whose parish church stands here. Ayer and Mission have been part of the municipality of Anniviers since the 2009 merger.[1][2][4]
History of Mission
1687. Bishop Adrien V de Riedmatten reportedly visited the chapel of Saint-Marc, the village's first, whose age is unknown.[7]
1798. Mission forms a municipality with Ayer and La Comba.[1]
1838. A fire ravages Mission. Starting in a house on 23 July, the fire reportedly destroyed everything but one house within two hours, killed two people and caused 510'000 francs of losses.[1][7]
1842. The Maison bourgeoisiale was reportedly rebuilt that year, with help from the Tiers d'Ayer.[7]
1855. The village is described as a hamlet where two rivers meet, about one league above Vissoie.[2]
1909-1910. The communal bread oven, now owned by the Société du village, reportedly dates from these years.[7]
1927. Mission reportedly decided that year to build the chapel of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, led by a committee chaired by Joachim Theytaz.[7]
1930. Ayer leaves the parish of Vissoie and becomes a parish. Its parish church is at Mission (according to another source, the building at Mission, finished that year, is a chapel, and Ayer has had its own church since around 1920).[1][3][7]
1971. In June the village school, housed in the Maison bourgeoisiale, reportedly closed. From 1973 pupils from the whole valley attend the Anniviers school centre in Vissoie.[7]
Historic sites in Mission
Church of Sainte-Madeleine. Parish church of the former municipality of Ayer, which belonged to the parish of Vissoie until 1930. It was reportedly built in 1930 in a neo-Romanesque style with a baroque look, with a bell turret typical of Anniviers. Inside: an altarpiece, a calvary and Stations of the Cross in high relief.[1][3][7]
Oldest house. Large multi-storey larch house, probably partly 17th century. It is said to be the only one to survive the 1838 fire. It bears the patois inscription « E youc lô fouämanta », « I saw the fire », and an old sign « Défense de trotter. Amende 5 fr. ».[7]
Maison bourgeoisiale. Former village school, with a meeting room on the third level and a cellar on the ground floor. On the ceiling, an inscription recalls « L'incendie du 23 juillet 1838 » and asks to be spared a second fire.[7]
Remains in Mission
Mill wheel. The stone wheel that ground wheat at the Mission mill, below the village, now serves as the fountain on the square.[7]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ayer » (Danielle Allet-Zwissig, version du 04.01.2017)
- Edouard Desor, « Le Val d'Anniviers », extrait de la Revue suisse, t. XVIII, 1855 (rééd. 2002, RERO DOC)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vissoie » (David Rey, version du 23.12.2016)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Anniviers, val d' » (Danielle Allet-Zwissig, version du 13.03.2017)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
- Anniviers Tourisme, « Parcours historique d'Anniviers : Mission »
Other villages near Mission
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