Saint-Maurice
Intro
The small medieval city of Saint-Maurice is located at the entrance of the Upper Rhône Valley, between a rock face and the river. It is home to the renowned abbey as well as a castle.
Thanks to its strategic location at the entrance to the Rhône Valley, a customs station had already been established here by the Romans. The place got its name from the martyrdom of Saint Maurice.
At a religious level, it became a place of significance in the 4th century due to the transfer of the relics of the martyr into a chapel, which was later expanded into a basilica. In the year 515, King Sigismund of Burgundy founded a monastery and at the same time had a new basilica built. The resulting Abbey of Saint-Maurice is not only an important testament to history, but also houses one of the richest ecclesiastical treasures in Europe. Despite some architectural transformations, it continues to be regarded as an exceptional cultural heritage site.
The city was founded between the abbey and the course of the River Rhône. The oldest part of the city largely consists of buildings erected after the fire of 1693, runs along the “Grand-Rue” – which has served as a thoroughfare since Roman times, and is now car-free. The castle, which was first mentioned around the year 1150, is located in the north, slightly separate from the rest of the city.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
