Ravoire
Origin of the name Ravoire
From the first years of the 14th century the name appears in the forms « Reveyry », « Revoire » and « Ravoiry ». It reportedly comes from a patois expression for a place exposed to the « raveur », the heat of the sun. Ravoire is a generic name for the whole hillside, not for a single locality.[1]
Founding of Ravoire
Ravoire occupies Mont Ravoire, a ridge that extends the Arpille massif north-eastwards above Martigny, in the municipality of Martigny-Combe. Settlement is scattered among isolated houses and hamlets that each have a name: Cheseaux-Planonzan, La Barmaz, Les Rapperens, Le Demex, Le Closuit, Le Feyley, Chez les Pillet and others. The Sommet des Vignes is the largest settlement. In the Middle Ages the hillside formed one of the quarters of the large municipality of Martigny. In the 19th century vines spread over its lower slopes, on former scrubland.[1]
History of Ravoire
early 14th century. Mentions in the forms « Reveyry », « Revoire » and « Ravoiry ».[1]
Middle Ages. Ravoire forms the sixth quarter of the large municipality and castellany of Martigny and has its own syndic.[1]
1750. Inhabited since the Middle Ages, the hamlet of Salladey is already abandoned, probably for lack of water. Around the same date a decision of the Martigny council allows the herders of Ravoire to water their cattle at Plan-Cerisier when water runs short.[1]
1840. Last capture of a bear in the area.[1]
1840-1845. With the separation from Martigny, Ravoire becomes a quarter of Martigny-Combe.[1]
1859. Drinking-water pipes are laid at La Barmaz.[1]
1875-1885. A spring is exploited at the foot of the mountain, at the place called la Bourrigne.[1]
1906-1908. Quarrying of erratic boulders begins at the place called « Carrières », not far from the hamlet of Les Rapperens.[1]
1926. Construction of the chapel of Ravoire.[2]
Historic sites in Ravoire
Ravoire chapel. Chapel of the hillside, built in 1926.[2]
Bread ovens. The hamlets of Ravoire keep seven old bread ovens, linked by a 3.5 km guided walk.[3]
Chez les Pillet. Hamlet at 1'334 m, the upper limit of permanently inhabited places on Mont Ravoire.[1]
Remains in Ravoire
Abandoned hamlet of Salladey. Place inhabited from the Middle Ages and already abandoned by 1750, probably for lack of water. The hillside also shows many traces of abandoned houses.[1]
Sources
- Philippe Farquet, « Le Mont Ravoire sur Martigny », Bulletin de la Murithienne (vers 1939, via RERO DOC)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Martigny-Combe » (Albano Hugon, version du 15.12.2009)
- Martigny Tourisme, « Martigny-Combe : visite guidée, fours à pain »
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées de Ravoire)
Other villages near Ravoire
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