Saint-Martin
Origin of the name Saint-Martin
The place appears in 1224 as « Sanctum Martinum ». It takes its name from Saint Martin, patron of the parish church.[1]
Founding of Saint-Martin
The municipality was born of a division. For centuries the church of Saint-Martin served the whole community of Hérens, which also included Evolène. Around 1040 Count Ulrich I of Lenzburg bequeathed his lordship of the mont de Suen to his nephew Aymon, bishop of Sion. In the 12th century the lords of Bex and the lords of Ayent, vassals of the House of Savoy, held the locality, and Suen was the seat of a majorie from 1231 to 1798. In 1882 the municipality of Hérens was divided in two: Evolène took the upper part of the valley, Saint-Martin the lower part. The new municipality brings together the villages of Saint-Martin, Suen, Trogne, Eison, Liez, Praz-Jean and La Luette, as well as several hamlets including Ossona.[1]
History of Saint-Martin
around 1040. Count Ulrich I of Lenzburg bequeaths his lordship of the mont de Suen to his nephew Aymon, bishop of Sion.[1]
12th century. The locality is held by the lords of Bex and the lords of Ayent, vassals of the House of Savoy.[1]
1224. Mentioned as « Sanctum Martinum ».[1]
1231-1798. Suen is the seat of a majorie.[1]
1448. Consecration of a chapel in Evolène, dedicated to Saint John and Saint Theodul, within the parish of Saint-Martin.
around 1500. After part of the population of Zermatt settled here fleeing the plague of the late 14th century, about two-thirds of the parishioners speak German.[1]
1530. Saint-Martin obtains a court of justice (vice-castellany). The community is divided into quarters: Saint-Martin, Suen, Eison and La Luette.[1]
16th century. Around the middle of the century an attempt to exploit the salt spring of Combioula is quickly abandoned.
1671. Construction of the chapel of Saints George and Theodul in Eison.
1691. Construction of the chapel of Saint-Bernard-de-Mont-Joux in Suen.
1798-1814. Having belonged to the dizain of Sion, Saint-Martin successively comes under a district (1798-1802), a dizain (1802-1810) and the canton of Hérémence (1810-1814).
1813. Construction of the bell tower of the parish church, kept when the church was rebuilt in 1950.
1882. Creation of the municipality of Saint-Martin through the division of the municipality of Hérens.[1]
1887. Construction of the chapel of Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice in La Luette.
1943. End of work in the lead and galena mines of Praz-Jean, operated since the middle of the 19th century.[1]
1950. Rebuilding of the parish church of Saint-Martin.
2008. Restoration of the hamlet of Ossona, turned towards agritourism.[1]
Population of Saint-Martin
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1850 | 732 |
| 1900 | 863 |
| 1950 | 1'141 |
| 2000 | 897 |
| 2025 | 839 |
Historic sites in Saint-Martin
Church of Saint-Martin. Parish church that served the whole community of Hérens. Rebuilt in 1950, it has kept its bell tower of 1813.
Suen. Village whose lordship of the mont de Suen was bequeathed around 1040 to the bishop of Sion. Seat of a majorie from 1231 to 1798, it has a chapel of Saint-Bernard-de-Mont-Joux built in 1691.
Chapels of Eison, Liez and La Luette. Chapel of Saints George and Theodul in Eison (1671, rebuilt in 1960), chapel of Saint-Marc in Liez (between 1687 and 1737) and chapel of Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice in La Luette (1887).
Ossona. Hamlet restored in 2008 and turned towards agritourism.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Martin (VS) » (David Rey, version du 01.06.2012)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Other villages near Saint-Martin
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