Randogne
Origin of the name Randogne
The village appears in 1224 as « Randonni », later « Randonna », two forms still to be confirmed. The name is said to derive from « Rand », which is not established either.[1]
Founding of Randogne
In the Middle Ages Randogne belonged to the episcopal castellany of Sierre, which under the Ancien Régime became the Noble Contrée de Sierre, a large burgher community whose upper third Randogne formed with Mollens and Cordona. The village belonged to the parish of Saint-Maurice-de-Laques, whose church stands on the territory of Mollens. The community lived almost entirely from livestock and alpine pastures. It gave itself statutes in 1578. After the dissolution of the Noble Contrée in 1839, Randogne and Mollens became separate burgher communities, then political municipalities in 1851. The former municipality stretched along the right bank of the Rhône from 540 m to 2'995 m and included the village of Randogne, Loc, Bluche, part of Darnona and most of the resorts of Montana-Vermala and Montana-Station. Since the merger of 1 January 2017 it has been part of the municipality of Crans-Montana.[1]
History of Randogne
1224. First mention as « Randonni ».[1]
1238. The parish of Saint-Maurice-de-Laques, to which Randogne and Mollens belong, is recorded.[1]
Middle Ages. Randogne belongs to the episcopal castellany of Sierre.[1]
Ancien Régime. With Mollens and Cordona, Randogne forms the upper third of the Noble Contrée de Sierre.[1]
1578. The village, living almost entirely from livestock and alpine pastures, gives itself statutes.[1]
1839. Dissolution of the Noble Contrée. Randogne and Mollens become separate burgher communities.[1]
1851. Randogne and Mollens become political municipalities.[1]
around 1890. A road links the Montana plateau, already visited for holidays and cures, with the valley.[1]
1898. A fire destroys the village, which is then rebuilt in stone. Only the chapel is said to have been spared, though this is not certain.[1]
1900. An inspection reportedly counted 110 households in the village.
1911. A funicular links the plateau with the valley. Sanatoriums, hotels and holiday homes rise on the former mayens.[1]
1928. Creation of the parish of Montana-Vermala, which also includes Montana-Station and Crans-sur-Sierre.[1]
2005. The service sector, mainly tourism, provides 86 % of jobs. The municipality has around 12'500 beds at the start of the 21st century.[1]
2017. On 1 January Randogne merges with Chermignon, Mollens and Montana to form the municipality of Crans-Montana.[1][3]
Population of Randogne
Sources and references: [1]
| 1850 | 253 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 411 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 1'616 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 2'963 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Randogne
Village of Randogne. Main village of the former municipality, still attached to crafts, cattle breeding and alpine pastures, rebuilt in stone after the fire of 1898.[1]
Montana-Vermala and Montana-Station. Most of these resorts lay on Randogne's territory. They developed after the road of around 1890 and the funicular of 1911.[1]
Loc and Darnona. Villages on the lower slope devoted to winegrowing. Only part of Darnona belonged to the municipality.[1]
Bluche. Village of the former municipality, reportedly on a livestock plateau.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Randogne » (Bernard Truffer, version du 13.01.2017)
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
- Etat du Valais, Service de l'agriculture, Office de la viticulture, lettre à la commune de Crans-Montana « Secteurs d'encépagement de la commune de Crans-Montana » (16.05.2018) (fusion de Chermignon, Montana, Randogne et Mollens au 1er janvier 2017)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Randogne
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change