Martigny

Martigny stands where routes through the Rhône valley meet the road over the Great St Bernard Pass. In antiquity the Veragri settlement of Octodurus occupied this strategic approach to Italy. A Roman town founded nearby under Claudius became the capital of the Alpine province, and its remains include an amphitheatre and baths. A bishopric was established here in the fourth century before its seat moved to Sion.

In 1351 Martigny came under the protection of the house of Savoy. The upper Valais communities, allied with the bishop of Sion and Bern, seized the lower valley in 1475. The townspeople could elect local officials, though justice remained with the bishopric. Agriculture and vineyards supported the town, but the Dranse brought destructive floods, particularly in 1595 and 1818. Valais joined Switzerland in 1815, after a period in which it had passed under French rule.