Since the dawn of time, life in the Valais has been based on contacts between local communities and their southern neighbours beyond the mountain passes. Prehistoric life has left its mark, not only in the valleys but also at the foot of the Matterhorn at an altitude of 2,500 metres. As for the Roman period, the most important sites are naturally found on the route through the Great-Saint-Bernard pass. Following the decline of the Roman Empire from the 4th century, this route lost its economic importance and the Valais returned to an almost autarchic state and adopted Christianity.
Community life From the Middle-Ages, communities organised themselves and instituted, notably, the “plaid”, a judicial authority that sat twice a year to regulate the use of common possessions. It was the plaid that was to limit the powers of the local lord and contribute to the birth of the communes. The local nobility, often in alliance with the enemy from Savoy, was for the most part often opposed to the bishop-prince of Sion. From the 15th century, the communities, organised into a veritable Confederation, constituted the political base of the country. As for the Reformation, Valais was hardly concerned by the movement not only because of its economic relations with Milan and thus with catholic Spain but also for lack of a leading protestant figure.
Transition towards contemporary times The French Revolution was to mark an important turning point for the area which continued to function according to a medieval structure: the movement was to favour discussions on such topics as power, freedom, improvement of living conditions with as a particular target, the need to improve education. Following the collapse of the Napoleonic regime, severe discord broke out between the uplanders and the lowlanders. The entry of the Valais into the Swiss Confederation in 1815, prevented it from falling into anarchy. Tourism and hydraulic powerThe arrival of the steam train in the middle of the 19th century, the infrastructural works and the rapid growth of tourism changed the face of the Valais. Hotels sprang up at the same time as the road network was modernised and the entrepreneurial dynasties like the Seiler family and that of the Exhenry made their appearance. In the 1950s, chemical and metallurgical industries were set up, attracted by the low cost of the hydraulic concessions and cheap labour. Construction of great dams was to underpin the civil engineering and construction industries. The service sector saw its growth begin in the 1970s as the population increased leading to an upsurge in trade and banking services. |
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