Nendaz
Origin of the name Nendaz
The name appears in 984 as « Nenda ». The former German name is « Neind ». It is said to come from a Celtic word meaning « sacred grove » or « sanctuary », though this is not certain.[1]
Founding of Nendaz
Nobody knows who founded the community of Nendaz. The area has nevertheless been occupied since the Late Neolithic, as slab graves near Baar show, and then in the La Tène period. After the Abbey of Saint-Maurice, Nendaz came under the Savoyard castellany of Conthey (12th-15th centuries) and organised itself with councils, syndics and procurators. The municipality covers 8'611 hectares, from the bank of the Rhône (490 m) to the Rosablanche (3'336 m). It has some fifteen villages and hamlets, including Basse-Nendaz, the main village, Haute-Nendaz, Bieudron, Aproz, Baar, Brignon and Beuson. In the 20th century hydroelectric power and then tourism transformed its economy.[1]
History of Nendaz
Late Neolithic. Slab graves with black pottery near Baar. La Tène period bracelets have been found at Clèbes.[1]
Before 305. Date of a coin struck in Carthage, found above Basse-Nendaz.[1]
9th-10th century. A chapel dedicated to Saint Leodegar (Saint-Léger) is built at Basse-Nendaz. It probably becomes a parish church in the 11th century.[1]
984. First mention as « Nenda ».[1]
1162-1178. Mention of the parish.[1]
Around 1261. Count Peter II of Savoy has a castle built at Brignon, which he has destroyed from 1266. Brignon regains its status as a majorie.[1]
Around 1300. The church of Basse-Nendaz is enlarged with a new choir. It is altered around the middle of the 15th century.[1]
1475. After the victory of the Upper Valais dizains over Savoy, Nendaz passes to them. It then comes under the governor of Lower Valais (1488-1536), then the governor of Saint-Maurice (1536-1592).[1]
1592-1665. The Diet appoints a major subordinate to the governor of Saint-Maurice.[1]
1665. Nendaz and Hérémence form a large majorie, directly dependent on the governor of Saint-Maurice until the end of the Ancien Régime.[1]
1737. At Christmas an avalanche reportedly destroys the village of Vernay, at the place called Chardonnay.
1815. After the dizain of Sion (1802), Nendaz joins the new dizain of Conthey, which becomes a district in 1848.[1]
1844. Buy-out of the feudal rights still held by the Abbey of Saint-Maurice.[1]
1869. After the embankment of the Rhône in the 1860s and 1870s, a metal bridge at Aproz makes crossing to the right bank easier.[1]
1904. On 8 August a fire devastates Clèbes, which is rebuilt entirely in stone.[4]
1908. Agreement to tap the lower Printse for the Aproz power station. Electricity is introduced in 1909.[1]
1914. First road for vehicles to Basse-Nendaz. Haute-Nendaz is reached in 1925 and Siviez in 1946.[1]
1938. Haute-Nendaz sets up a development society, which extends a network of ski lifts.[1]
1946-1951. Construction of the Cleuson dam, whose water supply feeds the Grande Dixence. From 1947 the Aproz springs are exploited, and in 1958 the Migros cooperative takes over the bottling.[1]
1965. Creation of the Super-Nendaz resort at Siviez, then an uninhabited area. Overnight stays rise from 84'243 in 1970 to 672'000 in 2007.[1]
Population of Nendaz
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1850 | 1'599 |
| 1900 | 2'289 |
| 1950 | 3'722 |
| 2000 | 5'350 |
| 2025 | 7'352 |
Historic sites in Nendaz
Church of Saint-Léger, Basse-Nendaz. Developed from a 9th-10th century chapel that became a parish church. Enlarged around 1300, altered in the 15th century, partly rebuilt around 1700 and in 1882-1885, and restored in 1964-1967 and in 2002.[1]
Chapel of Saint-Michel, Haute-Nendaz. 15th-century chapel, renovated in 1856, which houses paintings by Charles Frédéric Brun, known as the Deserter.[1]
Cleuson dam. Built between 1946 and 1951. A water supply from Cleuson feeds the Grande Dixence.[1]
Haute-Nendaz and Siviez. Tourist resorts that grew out of the development society of 1938 and the creation of Super-Nendaz in 1965. About 70 % of overnight stays are in winter.[1]
Aproz. Village on the Rhône, with its metal bridge of 1869, its power station fed by the Printse and its mineral springs exploited since 1947.[1]
Remains in Nendaz
Ruins of Brignon castle. Castle built around 1261 by Count Peter II of Savoy and destroyed on his orders from 1266. Its ruins are still visible.[1]
Prehistoric finds. Late Neolithic slab graves near Baar, La Tène bracelets at Clèbes and a Carthaginian coin above Basse-Nendaz.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Nendaz » (Pierre Carruzzo), version du 02.11.2010
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Nendaz)
- Commune de Nendaz / Nendaz Tourisme, « Clèbes » (incendie du 8 août 1904, reconstruction en pierre)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Nendaz
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