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Plan-Cerisier

Canton of Valais · District: Martigny · No published figure for the locality; the municipality of Martigny-Combe has 2'415 inhabitants (31.12.2025, provisional FSO figure)
Part of the municipality of Martigny-Combe
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Plan-Cerisier

Plan-Cerisier bears a name that has never been explained. The place serves as a landmark for the neighbouring locality of Le Perrey, cited as « Pérey (Plan-Cerisier) ».

Founding of Plan-Cerisier

Plan-Cerisier is a hamlet of the municipality of Martigny-Combe, at the foot of Mont Ravoire, in the heart of a terraced vineyard whose flat part is rare in Valais. Like those of Le Perrey and La Crettaz, its buildings were once mazots, temporary dwellings for people from Vallorcine and Salvan who came to work the vines. The people of Vallorcine owned vines and a group of mazots at Les Ecottins, above Plan-Cerisier, and came down twice a year for the work and the grape harvest. The Mazot-Musée keeps the memory of these comings and goings.[1][2][3][7][8]

History of Plan-Cerisier

1595. A flood of the Dranse ravages the lowest slopes of the Les Bans and Plan-Cerisier area.[4]

around 1750. A decision of the burgher council allows cattle to be taken to drink as far as the Pérey (Plan-Cerisier) by the Béveresse path.[4]

1818. Another Dranse flood strikes the area. Together with that of 1595, it pushed the slopes back by more than 100 m.[4]

1906. The Martigny-Châtelard railway opens. Until then the people of Vallorcine had closer economic ties with Valais, where their vines at Martigny lay, than with Chamonix.[2][3]

1928. Albert Claret sells the last Vallorcine mazot at Les Ecottins, above Plan-Cerisier.[2]

Historic sites in Plan-Cerisier

Mazot-Musée. Typical wine-growers' mazot, once a temporary dwelling for families from the Trient valley who came to work their vines. The stone ground floor holds basic furnishings and a soapstone stove. The plank-built upper floor displays wine-growing tools.[5][6]

Plan-Cerisier vineyard. Terraced vineyard surrounded by hamlets with a rich built heritage, whose flat part is a rarity in Valais.[7][8]

Les Ecottins. Place above Plan-Cerisier where the people of Vallorcine owned vines and a group of mazots.[2][3]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Martigny-Combe » (Albano Hugon, version du 15.12.2009)
  2. Maurice Gross, « Problèmes de colonisation alpestre, I. Les Walser ont-ils colonisé la haute vallée du Trient ? » (Sion, octobre 1950, via RERO DOC)
  3. Henri Favre, « Une ancienne seigneurie abbatiale » (Finhaut, via RERO DOC)
  4. Philippe Farquet, « Le Mont Ravoire sur Martigny », Bulletin de la Murithienne (vers 1939, via RERO DOC)
  5. Association des musées suisses, « Mazot-Musée », Plan-Cerisier
  6. MySwitzerland, « Mazot-Musée Martigny-Croix »
  7. État du Valais, géoportail, annonce d'un cours de murs en pierres sèches à Plan-Cerisier (présentation du hameau)
  8. MySwitzerland Meetings, « Guided tour of Plan-Cerisier and its vineyards »
  9. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
  10. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées de Plan-Cerisier)

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