Saint-Pierre-de-Clages
The village of Saint -Pierre- de -Clages is a part of the political community Chamoson District Conthey in the French speaking part of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is also the only Swiss Books village ( Village Suisse du Livre ).
Able to residents
Saint -Pierre- de -Clages situated on a natural and inclined towards the south huge alluvial fan in the Rhône valley. These deposits of limestone and marl rocks formed by the weathering and further transport of La Losentse, the cobbles from the Morcles ceiling, concretely the southern slope of the Grand Muveran and the western edge of the Haut-de -Cry was deposited here in its course. About one kilometers above the location is situated Chamoson. Both settlements form the largest wine region in the Valais. In the village live around 630 inhabitants, whose livelihoods mainly viticulture and tourism industry.
History
The first mention of this settlement refers to the Priory and the church connected with it ( Ecclesia de Clagiis ) and dates from 1153. It is in a deed of Eugene III. laid down, the (now Sion) called Saint -Pierre- de -Clages as a prior site of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint -Martin d' Ainay Lyon in the parish Sedunum. The construction of the Roman Basilica was begun in the 11th century.
The Bishop of Sion ( Sion today ) takes over in 1580 the priory in his possession. In effect, time by Baron von Stockalperschloss the Prioratsgebäude was converted to a salt deposit. At the same time establishing itself in place a change of horses and resting station. In the 18th century the village had risen to an important rest stop on the trade and travel route between Milan and Lyon.
Attractions
Church
The Romanesque church consists of a hall with inside two rows of pillars and an octagonal tower. The tower follows by its octagonal shape the type of Cluny for church buildings and is a unique piece on Swiss territory. On the east side of the choir concludes with a semicircular apse, which is accompanied by two smaller apses.
The tower is in the lower part of brick and in the further development of the beige-colored tuff typical of the region. The nave is built of rubble stones of layered limestone, marl and chert of the environment, as they characteristically occur on the northern slope of the valley along the line Saillon, Chamoson and Leytron. Special architectural elements, such as the portal and the window jambs of the exterior facade are re-exported from the yellow- beige tuff from the region. A now barely recognizable painting is located in the tympanum above the main portal. More frescoes are visible as exposed fragments inside the church.
Town houses
In Saint -Pierre- de -Clages some notable town houses have been preserved, take the testimony of the rural middle-class wealth from centuries past. Through numerous business uses can visitors interested in architecture the old interior, occasionally also consider one of the old Valais soapstone.
Book Village
The Swiss Books village exists since 1993. Usually in very old houses of Saint -Pierre- de -Clages there are numerous antique shops that encourage browsing. Saint -Pierre- de -Clages is one of the so far ( 2008) 22 European books villages. This initiative, in which 13 European countries are currently involved, is a specific signal for the comprehensive cultural significance of the book. The end of August each year there is a three-day book festival here.