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86-454: The castle of Valère is located on the Valère hill at 615 meters (2,018 ft) above sea level and dominates the town of Sion in the canton of Valais , Switzerland. The castle's church is located at the top of the hill, while the fortified village and its walls surround it. The relief of the Valère hill is very uneven and access to the castle is only possible from the north-east. Since 1977,

172-470: A base for air rescue missions. Sion is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe. The alluvial fan of the river Sionne , the rocky slopes above the river and, to a lesser extent, Valeria and Tourbillon hills have been settled nearly continuously since antiquity. The oldest trace of human settlement comes from 6200 BC during the late Mesolithic . Around 5800 BC early Neolithic farmers from

258-611: A grave and pilgrimage church with a shrine in Theodul's Crypt. It was destroyed in the wars with the House of Savoy in the 14th century. Construction began on a new church in 1510–1516 under Bishop Matthew Schiner and continued until the 17th century. St. Theodul's served the French-speaking urban population as a parish church until 1798. In the 17th century, citizens claimed the right to choose their parish priest, over objections of

344-575: A modification in the 1700s is essentially unchanged. The murals date from about 1435 as well. The Gothic marble statue of the Madonna with the baby Jesus was added in the 15th century over the high altar. The current choir stalls were added in the mid-17th century. The church obtained the rank of minor basilica in the Roman Catholic tradition on 7 October 1987, during the visit of Pope John Paul II . The Valère Basilica has been restored with

430-456: A one-room apartment was 473.25 CHF (US$ 380, £210, €300), a two-room apartment was about 679.12 CHF (US$ 540, £310, €430), a three-room apartment was about 854.95 CHF (US$ 680, £380, €550) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1075.25 CHF (US$ 860, £480, €690). The average apartment price in Sion was 82.4% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010 ,

516-476: A peaceful time in Sion. The new city hall was built on Grand-Pont between 1657 and 1665. In 1788, a fire broke out in the city. It damaged Majoria and Tourbillon castles and destroyed 115 of the 284 inhabited houses. In the High Middle Ages , the residents of Sion were homines episcopi or people of the bishop. This was true both for the staff at the court as well as the serfs who tilled the land, and

602-562: A population of 34,978 (known as Sédunois(es) ). On 17 January 1968, the former municipality of Bramois merged into the municipality of Sion. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Salins merged into the municipality of Sion, and on 1 January 2017, Les Agettes did the same. Landmarks in Sion include the Basilique de Valère and the Château de Tourbillon . Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which serves as

688-400: A rate of 10%. It has changed at a rate of 10.1% due to migration and at a rate of 2.3% due to births and deaths. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks French (22,338 or 82.2%) as their first language, German is the second most common (1,523 or 5.6%) and Portuguese is the third (912 or 3.4%). There are 855 people who speak Italian and 19 people who speak Romansh . As of 2008 ,

774-451: A total of 10,670 apartments (88.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,072 apartments (8.9%) were seasonally occupied and 345 apartments (2.9%) were empty. As of 2009 , the construction rate of new housing units was 4.7 new units per 1000 residents. As of 2003 the average price to rent an average apartment in Sion was 919.42 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$ 740, £410, €590 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for

860-425: Is December during which time Sion receives an average of 64 mm (2.5 in) of rain or snow. During this month there is precipitation for an average of 7.4 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is August, with an average of 7.9, but with only 57 mm (2.2 in) of rain. The driest month of the year is April with an average of 35 mm (1.4 in) of precipitation over 5.2 days. According to

946-603: Is an aisleless nave with lateral chapels. There are five pontifical minor basilicas in the world (the word "pontifical" referring to the title " pontiff " of a bishop, and more particularly of the Bishop of Rome): The description patriarchal applies to two minor basilicas associated with archbishops who have the title of patriarch – the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of St Mark in Venice and

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1032-594: Is made up of 7 people : a president, a vice-president and five counsellors. In the 2015 federal election the most popular party was the CVP with 31.3% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (19.9%), the SVP (18.7%) and the SP (17.9%). In the federal election, a total of 11,541 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 57.7%. In the 2011 federal election

1118-462: Is now about 4.47% of the total area. Of the agricultural land, 859 ha (2,120 acres) is used for orchards and vineyards, 337 ha (830 acres) is fields and grasslands and 17 ha (42 acres) consists of alpine grazing areas. Since 1980 the amount of agricultural land has decreased by 330 ha (820 acres). Over the same time period the amount of forested land has increased by 8 ha (20 acres). Rivers and lakes cover 164 ha (410 acres) in

1204-485: Is the first written charter of freedom for the city. It includes civil and criminal laws and punishments as well as trade and market regulations. In 1269, the burghers of the town had their own council with its own statutes. The council governed the use and management of the common lands through twelve councilors led by the Viztum . These administrators later became syndics and were known by this title in 1323. In 1338,

1290-704: Is the oldest in Switzerland and one of the oldest north of the Alps. At first, the see was sited at Octodurum, now called Martigny/Martinach. The first authentically historical bishop was Saint Theodore or Theodolus (died 391), who was present at the Council of Aquileia in 381. He founded the Abbey of Saint-Maurice in Agaunum , with a small church in honor of Saint Maurice , martyred there c.  300 , when he united

1376-512: Is the third largest wine making region in Switzerland , however, the valuable agricultural land and vineyards are undergoing constant regression due to the process of urbanisation . Sion has also become an important medical site. The Sion-Region hospital is situated here next to the central institute of Valaisan hospitals and the Suva clinic for physical rehabilitation. Basilicas in

1462-454: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 15.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 38.4% is settled (buildings or roads) and 7.2% is unproductive land. In the 2004/09 survey a total of 505 ha (1,250 acres) or about 17.0% of the total area was covered with buildings, an increase of 148 ha (370 acres) over the 1980 amount. Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by 66 ha (160 acres) and

1548-622: The 2006 Winter Olympics . Sion also bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics , which it lost to Salt Lake City , and the 1976 Winter Olympics , which it lost to Denver (the games were reassigned to Innsbruck when Denver residents voted down additional funding). On 10 June 2019, Sion withdrew its bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics after rejection in the referendum. Archaeologists found six aligned standing stones in La Petit district in Sion in July 2019. These standing stones were found accidentally during

1634-808: The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City (constructed in the twentieth century) was the most visited Catholic shrine in the world, followed by San Giovanni Rotondo and Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil. Millions of pilgrims visit the shrines of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima . Pilgrimage basilicas continue to attract well over 30 million pilgrims per year. Ireland contains two pilgrimage basilicas: Knock Shrine and St Patrick's Purgatory (Lough Derg). Every year, on 13 May and 13 October,

1720-457: The Diocese of Rome , or minor basilicas, of which there were 1,810 worldwide as of 2019 . Numerous basilicas are notable shrines , often even receiving significant pilgrimages , especially among the many that were built above a confessio or the burial place of a martyr; although this term now usually designates a space before the high altar that is sunk lower than the main floor level (as in

1806-532: The Early Bronze Age (around 2300 BC) the last stelae were erected. The early settlements have been well documented. There are huts from the Middle Neolithic period found near Le Petit Chasseur and under Ritz Avenue. Late Neolithic sites have been found at Bramois and the early Early Bronze Age site is at Le Petit Chasseur. The Middle Bronze Age , however, is poorly documented. From

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1892-490: The Köppen Climate Classification system, Sion has a (warm humid) temperate climate , abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess Argent two Mullets of Five Gules and Gules. Sion has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 34,978. As of 2008 , 26.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over years 2000–2010 the population changed at

1978-473: The Moors ; Saint Alteus , who received from the pope a bull of exemption in favor of the abbey (780); Aimo II, son of Count Humbert I of Savoy , who entertained Leo IX at Saint-Maurice in 1049. The first cathedral probably dates from the 6th century. It was halfway up the hill, where later the church of St. Peter stood, until the 19th century when that church was demolished. The fortunes of

2064-650: The Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia . Not all patriarchal cathedrals are minor basilicas. Notably, the Patriarchal Cathedral of St Mary Major (in Lisbon , Portugal) and the Patriarchal Cathedral of Santa Catarina (in Old Goa , India) are not. In recent times, the title of minor basilica has been attributed to important pilgrimage churches . In 1999 Bishop Francesco Giogia stated that

2150-457: The Rhône . The Sust's barns are stables were still in operation until the 19th century. Along the river Sionne, there were mills, sawmills and other industries that needed water power. In addition, there were many tanneries in the same area. In 1466, the smiths, bricklayers and stonemasons' guilds arose from an ecclesiastical fraternity. Those three guilds were followed by the butchers' guild in 1512,

2236-614: The Romans in the 10s BC. By 8–7 BC, Emperor Augustus praised the tribe (civitas) of the Seduni with an inscription. The town-hall is said to contain several Roman inscriptions, one of which found at Sion commemorates the Roman presence: Civitas Sedunorum Patrono . Under the Romans it was known as Sedunum . The Roman settlement stretched mainly from what is now St. Theodul, between

2322-471: The SP (19.08%), the SVP (15.52%) and the FDP (13.9%). In the federal election, a total of 9,828 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 55.6%. The tertiary sector is the main economic sector in Sion, mainly due to the presence of the canton's administration, the Valaisan parliament and the canton's courthouse. Tourism is also an important sector due to its historic châteaux and museums. Sion

2408-631: The Simplon Pass and through the Valais into the Champagne region. Sion became an important relay station on this route. The station at Sion included a Sust or warehouse that also provided additional animals to help haul wagons over the pass. Many local nobles and farmers were involved in animal husbandry to support the Sust and pastured their animals, during the summer, in pastures on the other side of

2494-542: The rock bunting ( Emberiza cia ), the common redstart ( Phoenicurus phoenicurus ), the common raven ( Corvus Corax ) and the common kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ). Valère's flora is composed of a feather grass ( Stipa ) species, Ephedra distachya , Indian fig ( Opuntia humifusa ), hoary berteroa ( Berteroa incana ), early star-of-Bethlehem ( Gagea bohemica ), cotton thistle ( Onopordum acanthium ), motherwort ( Leonurus cardiaca ) and patience dock ( Rumex patientia ). 4.9 hectares (530,000 sq ft) of

2580-518: The salterus . As a result of the decline of the feudal social order and thanks to privileges and concessions granted by the bishop, the citizens of Sion had a limited independence in the Middle Ages . A contract between Bishop Kuno and his maior William of Turn from 1179, is seen as the first step in the creation of an independent city government. An agreement between the bishop, the collegiate church of St. Viztums and William of Turn in 1217

2666-487: The vicar general confirmed the existing rights and freedom of the citizens of Sion in a document. The document was renewed by the bishop in 1339 and was presented to each successive bishop to reconfirm after his election. In the same year, Emperor Louis the Bavarian raised Sion to a free imperial city and collected the surrounding lands into a barony . In 1346, the episcopal Viztum and the citizenry collectively wrote

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2752-524: The 12th century. The predecessor of the present cathedral, the church of Notre-Dame-du-Glarier in the Palacio district served both as the bishop's church and the parish church in the 12th century. It was destroyed in the 14th century during one of the wars between the bishop of Sion and the House of Savoy . It was rebuilt in the second half of the 15th century. In the meantime, St. Peter's church took over as

2838-445: The 18th century, a third category, the tollerati, was added. On the eve of the revolution the city's population was 19% citizen, 30% permanent resident and 51% tollerati and other marginalized groups. There were only 41 citizen families, of which twelve were nobility and nine belonged to the patrician class. Starting in the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century, long-distance trade began to pick up from northern Italy via

2924-536: The Austrians, the citizenry received many of their rights back. During the following year, the government was split between supporters of the Ancien Régime and the supporters of the independent republic, with each party forming a council. When the two councils combined, the number of Council members was set to 20. Between 1815 and 1839, the patrician class gradually took more and more of the rights and duties of

3010-573: The Catholic Church Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope . Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular building with a central nave flanked by two or more longitudinal aisles). Basilicas are either major basilicas, of which there are four, all in

3096-527: The Mediterranean settled in Sion. The settlements remained small until about 4500 BC, during the middle Neolithic, when the number of settlements increased sharply. To support the population increase, farming and grazing spread throughout the valley. They also began burying their dead in Chablandes-type stone burial cists with engraved anthropomorphic stelae . The individual graves changed at

3182-609: The Rhone’, which reduced the length of the river and gave to the river the present-day aspect. In the 2000s, after severe flood events, the ‘Third Correction’ began following the ‘Room-for-River’ flood management strategy and aims to: (1) widen the river, (2) increase the capacity, (3) secure levees and (4) improve the general environmental quality. One of the driest and sunniest areas of Switzerland , Sion has an average of 82.1 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 603 mm (23.7 in) of precipitation . The wettest month

3268-636: The Sionne and to the west side of the hill, Valeria. Under the church, a large bath complex was discovered and partially excavated. Near La Sitterie, Sous-le-Scex and in the upper part of the Avenue du Petit Chasseur, portions of several villae suburbanae were found. In the 1st century AD, the Claudii Vallensium Forum , in what is now Martigny , became the capital of the civitas Vallensium . Sedunum lost political importance, but still remained

3354-562: The Swiss Confederation and the Germanies) and traders (mostly from Savoy and northern Italy). An outbreak of the plague in 1348 wiped out many citizens. In addition to the citizens' deaths, the restrictive attitude of the citizenry toward new members led to citizens becoming a minority in Sion. In the first population census in 1610 the town had 1,835 inhabitants, of whom 412 were citizens and 1,423 were permanent residents. In

3440-554: The Tourbillon Hill are also included in the catalogue of protected places in the category of dry meadows and pastures of national importance. This area was so classified in 2017 with the aim of conserving Switzerland's dry meadows and pastures, almost 95% of which have disappeared since 1900. The Diocese was founded in Octodurum, now called Martigny , in the early 4th century. In 589 the bishop, St. Heliodorus , transferred

3526-553: The Upper Rhone valley. Sion became the political and religious center of the region. By the 12th century they began building impressive churches and castles in Sion to represent their power and administer their estates. Valère, as the residence of the cathedral chapter in Sion, was one-third of the administrative center of the powerful Diocese of Sion. In the 12th century the Cathedral Notre Dame de Sion (du Glarier)

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3612-641: The Upper Valais broke away from the rest of the canton. Sion was chosen as the capital of the Valais, while the breakaway Upper Valais chose Sierre . In 1840, the Upper and Lower Valais were reunited. But four years later, Sion was occupied by Upper Valais troops during the beginning of the Sonderbund War . Federal troops occupied Sion in November 1847. Sion lost to Turin , Italy in its bid to host

3698-586: The Valais government had clearly decided to remain part of the old faith. Some individuals or families emigrated to reformed areas, while others went back to the old faith. The Counter-Reformation , led by the Capuchin friars of Savoy and the Jesuits destroyed the last hopes of the Protestants to establish a foothold in the cathedral town. The Capuchins founded a monastery in 1631 and started construction of

3784-518: The adjective sacrosancta (most holy). The four major basilicas, together with the minor basilica of St Lawrence Outside-the-Walls , were formerly known as patriarchal basilicas as they were associated with the five ancient patriarchal sees of Christendom (see Pentarchy ). Upon relinquishing the title of Patriarch of the West in 2006, Pope Benedict XVI renamed these basilicas from patriarchal basilicas to papal basilicas . Nominally,

3870-645: The bakers' guild in 1525, the tailors and drapers' guild in 1527 and in 1602 the guild of shoemakers and tanners. These guilds played a major economic role in Sion until the end of the Ancien Régime . The Inn of the White Cross opened in 1550 for merchants and wealthy travelers, followed in 1688 by the inn of the Golden Lion, which was built beside the town hall. Very little is known about the early churches in Sion since written sources are meager before

3956-515: The beginning of the 3rd millennium BC in large, dry stone wall communal tombs (such as the Dolmen of Le Petit-Chasseur). During the Beaker culture period in the second half of the third Millennium, dolmens were built once again, but they were smaller and had no podium. Stelae continued to be carved, though these were rich with geometric patterns and sometimes built out of old dolmen. At the beginning of

4042-569: The bishop bought back the majority of the fief of Sion from the de Greysier family. Majorie Castle became the bishop's residence and the maior was now appointed by the bishop every year. Sion was attacked and looted in 1384, again during the Raron affair in 1418 and finally in 1475 during the Burgundian Wars . During this period, the citizenry strove to defend their acquired privileges and whenever possible to expand those rights. In 1414,

4128-408: The bishop's and parish church. It was demolished in 1806. The Valeria Church was built in the 11th century and originally consecrated to St. Catherine. This church was probably the first church for the cathedral chapter . St. Theoduls church was first mentioned in the 13th century. It was probably built in 1100 on the ruins of Roman baths and a Carolingian era church. This church was probably built as

4214-610: The case in St ;Peter's and St John Lateran in Rome) and that offer more immediate access to the burial places below. Some Catholic basilicas are Catholic pilgrimage sites, receiving tens of millions of visitors per year. Churches designated as papal basilicas, in particular, possess a papal throne and a papal high altar , at which no one may celebrate Mass without the pope's permission. The papal or major basilicas outrank in precedence all other churches. Other rankings put

4300-420: The category Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome . The privileges attached to the status of minor basilica, which is conferred by papal brief , include a certain precedence before other churches, the right of the conopaeum (a baldachin resembling an umbrella; also called umbraculum , ombrellino , papilio , sinicchio , etc.) and the bell ( tintinnabulum ), which are carried side by side in procession at

4386-615: The cathedral (or co-cathedral) of a bishop ahead of all other churches in the same diocese , even if they have the title of minor basilica. If the cathedral is that of a suffragan diocese , it yields precedence to the cathedral of the metropolitan see. The cathedral of a primate is considered to rank higher than that of other metropolitan(s) in his circumscription (usually a present or historical state). Other classifications of churches include collegiate churches , which may or may not also be minor basilicas. The distinction between major basilicas and minor basilicas appears to have arisen in

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4472-623: The citizenry back on themselves, gaining more and more power. In response to this, Alexandre de Torrente founded a liberal party in 1830. In the cantonal government, Sion agreed most often with the German-speaking Upper Valais. Which gave the Upper Valais a majority of the Zenden in the council, to the detriment of the French-speaking Lower Valais. However, after the vote on the constitution of 1839,

4558-399: The city council approved a new set of statutes for the citizens. In 1433, Bishop Andreas dei Benzi approved a strict set of regulations concerning the granting of citizenship rights to applicants. Two years later, in 1435, he allowed the city council to appoint the bishop's representative to Sion. He retained only the right to approve or reject the council's choice. In 1560, the citizenry bought

4644-426: The city grew when the bishop settled there. In 999, King Rodolphe III of Burgundy granted the entire County of Valais to the bishop, and Sion became the capital of this county. The prince-bishop had the rights of high and low justice , the right to his own regalia and to appoint his own vassals . The residents of Sion were ruled by three appointees of the bishop, the maior , the vice dominus or Viztum and

4730-586: The city of Rome. Regarding minor basilicas the terms "papal minor basilica", "pontifical minor basilica" and "patriarchal minor basilica" are also in use. There are three papal minor basilicas , one in Rome, Basilica of St Lawrence Outside-the-Walls , and two in Assisi associated with Francis of Assisi situated in or near his home town. Architecturally, the Papal Basilica of St Francis of Assisi

4816-491: The construction work of a residential building, in the same area where 30 such stones and the dolmens were found in 1960. " This discovery is of prime importance to help us understand social rituals at the end of the Neolithic period (around 2,500BC) in central Europe ," was announced from the canton of Valais . According to the press release, a number of stones were noticed to have been intentionally broken. Three of

4902-502: The craftsmen and traders. As the civic community gradually began to organize, they were no longer willing to automatically grant every new arrival the same rights as citizens. Those who were unwilling or unable to purchase citizenship, which cost about 60 shillings in 1326, but wished to live in Sion were classed as permanent residents and their descendants held the same status until they could buy their citizenship. The permanent residents were mainly workers, craftsmen (often originating from

4988-467: The early 18th century. The earliest document that records the use of the term major basilica dates from 1727. To the category major basilica belong only the four great churches of Rome, which among other distinctions have a special holy door and to which a visit is always prescribed as one of the conditions for gaining the Roman Jubilee . Only the major basilicas may prefix their titles with

5074-561: The ecclesiastical authorities. The dispute eventually required mediation through the Papal Nuncio . The resolution allowed the citizens to choose the pastor from one of four proposed by the archbishop. In the second half of the 16th century a large Protestant community grew in Sion under the leadership of renowned burghers , who had learned of the new doctrine while students in Bern , Basel , Zürich , Lausanne or Geneva . After 1604,

5160-527: The head of the clergy on state occasions, and the cappa magna which is worn by the canons or secular members of the collegiate chapter when assisting at the Divine Office . In the case of major basilicas these umbraculae are made of cloth of gold and red velvet, while those of minor basilicas are made of yellow and red silk – the colors traditionally associated with both the Papal See and

5246-488: The home of many notable families. Grave stelae attest to the presence of duumviri (magistrates of the civitas), of flamines (priests of the imperial cult), a Roman knight and a former consul in the town. In the 4th century praesides (provincial governors) are mentioned living in Sedunum, including a man named Pontius Asclepiodotus, who rebuilt an imperial building and, according to an inscription, converted to Christianity in 377. The Roman Catholic diocese of Sion

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5332-417: The larch structures preserved and tested by Sylvatest in 2000. The Pipe organ on the west side of the Valère Basilica, believed to have been built in 1435, is one of the oldest functioning in the world. It was probably brought to the church by Guillaume de Rarogne, who eventually ended up as the bishop of Sion. Its pipes are arranged to form a rough outline of a church; the larger pipes form two towers, and

5418-421: The local hermits in a common life, thus beginning the Abbey of Saint-Maurice, the oldest north of the Alps. Theodore rebuilt the church at Sion, which had been destroyed by Emperor Maximinus at the beginning of the 4th century. At first the new diocese was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Vienne ; later it became suffragan of Tarentaise . In 589 the bishop, St. Heliodorus, transferred the see to Sion, leaving

5504-407: The low-lying, flood-prone site of Octodurum, where the Drance joins the Rhône . Though frequently the early bishops were also the abbots of Saint-Maurice, the community of canons was jealously watchful that the bishops should not extend their jurisdiction over the abbey. Several of the bishops united both offices: Wilcharius (764–780), previously archbishop of Vienne , whence he had been driven by

5590-412: The monastery church in 1636, and the Jesuits started missionary activity in the 17th century and established a school in 1734. During the anti-patrician unrest in the Lower Valais at the end of the 18th century, Sion remained a bastion of the aristocracy. The leaders of the Les Crochets conspiracy were executed in 1791 in Sion to avoid riots. After the French invasion of Switzerland on 5 March 1798, Sion

5676-406: The most popular party was the CVP with 29.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (22.2%), the SP (20.0%) and the SVP (16.9%). In the federal election, a total of 10,750 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 58.3%. In the 2009 Conseil d'État/Staatsrat election a total of 8,663 votes were cast, of which 907 or about 10.5% were invalid. The voter participation

5762-463: The municipality. The Medieval chroniclers report the occurrence of severe flood events, and during the Little Ice Age (or LIA, 1350–1850 AD) the Upper Rhône had certainly a torrential regime as other rivers in the Western Alps . During the second half of the nineteenth century, the anthropogenic activities had a crucial impact on the Rhône basin. The river was channelized twice in the periods of 1863–1894 and 1930–1960 (the so-called ‘Corrections of

5848-534: The office of Viztum from the feudal landholder, the de Chevron family. A year earlier the bishop assigned the office of salterus to the citizenry. Thus, by the mid 16th century, the city enjoyed a nearly total autonomy. In the 16th century, due to a strong immigration from the German-speaking Upper Valais, Sion/Sitten became almost totally German speaking. The town council minutes were written in Latin until 1540, when they changed to German. Official invoices changed to German in 1600. The 17th and 18th centuries were

5934-442: The police regulations. Sion was now a city with city walls, documented freedoms and the market right. From the middle of the 14th century to 1475, the history of Sion was filled with wars and destruction. Bishop Witschard Tavel tried to reduce the privileges of the cathedral collegiate chapter and the citizenry with the support of the Count of Savoy . In 1352, Sion was conquered, pillaged and plundered by an army from Savoy. In 1373,

6020-578: The population was 47.8% male and 52.2% female. The population was made up of 10,128 Swiss men (34.1% of the population) and 4,089 (13.8%) non-Swiss men. There were 11,642 Swiss women (39.2%) and 3,859 (13.0%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 9,542 or about 35.1% were born in Sion and lived there in 2000. There were 7,481 or 27.5% who were born in the same canton, while 2,939 or 10.8% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 6,285 or 23.1% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2000 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24.8% of

6106-542: The population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.7% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.5%. As of 2000 , there were 11,846 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 12,335 married individuals, 1,509 widows or widowers and 1,481 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 11,326 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 4,114 households that consist of only one person and 703 households with five or more people. In 2000 ,

6192-541: The respective patriarchs could avail of accommodation attached to the basilicas should they have business in Rome. These assignments, however, are now purely historical. In some cases, more than one patriarch holds the title for the same patriarchate. For example, each of the Catholic patriarchs of the Melkite , Maronite and Syrian rites holds the title of "Patriarch of Antioch". All five papal basilicas belong also to

6278-640: The see to Sion, as Octodurum was frequently endangered by the inundations of the Rhone and the Drance. Very little is known about the early Bishops and the early churches in Sion. However, in the late 10th century the last King of Upper Burgundy Rudolph III , granted the County of Valais to Bishop Hugo (998–1017). The combination of spiritual and secular power made the Prince-Bishops the most powerful nobles in

6364-439: The semi-circular apse , the walls and windows and a roof. The third phase saw the church expand and the style changed to the new Gothic style . Between 1235 and 1267 the nave expanded and was flanked with two aisles . During the 13th century, the choir was covered with a Gothic ribbed vault and a rood screen was installed to separate the chancel from the nave. The famous organ was installed around 1430–1435 and other than

6450-614: The significant dates of the Fatima apparitions, pilgrims fill the country road that leads to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima with crowds that approach one million on each day. In December 2009 the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe set a new record with 6.1 million pilgrims during Friday and Saturday for the anniversary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As of 31 December 2020 , there are 1,881 Roman Catholic churches that bear

6536-574: The site has been included in the Federal Inventory of Sites and Monuments of National Importance due to the large number of protected species present on Valère Hill. The fauna of the hill includes the European green lizard ( Lacerta viridis ), the European mantis ( Mantis religiosa ), the scarce swallowtail ( Iphiclides podalirius ), the green-underside blue ( Glaucopsyche alexis ), the blue-winged grasshopper ( Oedipoda caerulescens ),

6622-403: The smaller ones create a triangular church roof. The organ was modified in the 1700s to play Baroque music , but otherwise remains essentially unchanged. It was renovated in 1954. Sion, Switzerland Sion ( French: [sjɔ̃] ) is a Swiss town , a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Valais and of the district of Sion . As of December 2020 it had

6708-491: The standing stones were carved with markings. The largest of the stones assumed to be a male figure wearing geometrically decorated clothes with a sun-like motif around his face is about two tonnes. After the 2017 merger Sion had an area of 34.86 km (13.46 sq mi). Before the merger Sion had an area (as of the September 2004 survey) of 29.69 square kilometers (11.46 sq mi). Of this area, about 38.9%

6794-570: The subsequent epochs, the great necropolis of Don Bosco (the "aristocrat" tumulus of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age) and the necropolis of Sous-le-Scex from the La Tène culture . At the end of the 1st century BC, Sion was the capital of the Seduni , one of the four Celtic tribes of the Valais. Julius Caesar mentions them as Nantuates Sedunos Veragrosque . They were conquered by

6880-732: The title of basilica. St. Mary's Cathedral in Ernakulam, India is the Episcopal See of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church . The cathedral was elevated to the status of basilica by Pope Paul VI on 20 March 1974. St. George Forane Church in Angamaly, also of the Syro-Malabar rite, was raised to the status of basilica on 24 June 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI . On 10 May 1997 Pope John Paul II visited

6966-487: Was 0.53%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The municipal council is the executive power in the commune. Its 15 members, non-permanent except the president, are elected every 4 years by the people. The commune of Sion comprises also of a counsel of public rights of the medieval commune, the Bourgeoisie , who protect the rights of the original inhabitants against new inhabitants. The counsel

7052-422: Was 49.1%, which is much less than the cantonal average of 54.67%. In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election a total of 9,688 votes were cast, of which 835 or about 8.6% were invalid. The voter participation was 55.8%, which is similar to the cantonal average of 59.88%. In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the CVP which received 34.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were

7138-627: Was annexed into France as the département of Simplon . Between 1798 and 1801 the representative of the Helvetic government resided in Sion. Under the French occupation, Joseph du Fay de Lavallaz was appointed by the emperor to be the mayor of the district of Sion. After Napoleon's defeats during the War of the Sixth Coalition the Valais was occupied by Austria at the end of December 1813. Under

7224-645: Was built in the town below Valère hill. Glarier Cathedral became the seat of the Diocese of Sion, while the Prince-Bishop of Sion lived in Tourbillon Castle . The name Valère is first mentioned in 1049 as the site of the cathedral chapter in Sion. The first parts of the church were built between 1100 and 1130 in the Romanesque style. The next construction phase began after 1130 and included

7310-534: Was caught between the revolutionary spirit of a portion of its population (who established a liberty pole in town on 10 March) and conservative elements who wanted to prevent any change in the Valais. Following the creation of the Helvetic Republic in May 1798, a counter-revolutionary rebellion erupted in the upper Valais. This short-lived rebellion was crushed on 17 May by French and Vaudois troops and Sion

7396-613: Was plundered. Under the Helvetic Republic, Sion was source of conflict between supporters and opponents of the new regime. In May 1799 counter-revolutionary forces from Upper Valais looted the city again. In order to ensure peace in the Valais, the French General Louis Marie Turreau de Garambouville occupied Sion in 1801 and in 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte declared the independent Rhodanic Republic . It then remained independent until 1810 when it

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