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Vens

Canton of Valais · District: Entremont · 72 inhabitants (1.1.2025, figure of the municipality of Val de Bagnes)
Part of the municipality of Val de Bagnes
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Vens

Spelled « Vence » in a 1956 geography study, the name Vens has no known explanation.[5]

Founding of Vens

Vens belonged to the former municipality of Vollèges, together with Le Levron and Chemin-Dessus, and has been part of the municipality of Val de Bagnes since 2021. The village lies at 1'111 m above Vollèges, on the road to the Col des Planches, below the cliffs of La Crevasse. It is made up mostly of old houses. When it was founded is not known. Galleries of a lead mine opened in the rocks below the village, and Mont Chemin holds iron mines that bear its name.[2][3][4]

History of Vens

1783. Count Razoumovski records galleries of a lead mine in the rocks below the village of Vens.[3]

1940. The village has 100 inhabitants.[1]

1948. A shop and a café open.[1]

1954. The chapel is enlarged (wooden part).[1]

1957. Construction of the drinking water reservoir and piped water to households, which until then drew water from the fountains.[1]

1961. First passage of the rally.[1]

1965. On 2 August a rockfall makes the road impassable for a good week.[1]

1966. First stretch of tarred road.[1]

1967. Irrigation water arrives from Louvie.[1]

1978. The dairy is closed and gives way to a carnotzet.[1]

1997. The « mines de Vens », which no author had described since 1948, are rediscovered and visited.[3]

2001. The Pics-Verts society builds the village shelter.[1]

2007-2008. Road renovated.[1]

2021. Vollèges merges with Bagnes: Vens is now part of the municipality of Val de Bagnes.[4]

Population of Vens

Sources and references: [1][2]

Population of Vens
1940100
202572 (1 January)

Historic sites in Vens

Saint-Bernard chapel. Chapel dedicated to Saint Bernard of Menthon, enlarged in 1954. The patronal feast is held on 15 June.[1][2]

La Crevasse. Summit of 1'807 m with imposing cliffs overlooking the village, with a view of the Combins massif, the Catogne, the Pierre Avoi and the Chavalard.[2]

Remains in Vens

Mine galleries. Galleries of a lead mine recorded in 1783 in the rocks below the village, and the « mines de Vens », iron mines rediscovered in 1997.[3]

Sources

  1. Village de Vens, « Histoire du village » et « La chapelle »
  2. Commune de Val de Bagnes, « Les villages » (Vens)
  3. Minaria Helvetica 18b/1998, numéro spécial « Mont Chemin » (Société suisse d'histoire des mines ; articles de Stefan Ansermet)
  4. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Vollèges » (Jean-Yves Gabbud, version du 21.07.2021)
  5. Charles A. Burky, « Vollèges, un cas d'industrialisation d'une commune montagnarde », Geographica Helvetica 11, 1956
  6. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)

Other villages near Vens

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