Septimer Pass

Rise to the Septimer from the south side, in the background Bergell

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The Septimerpass ( Romansh: Pass da Sett, Italian Passo del Settimo ) is a mountain pass in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. With a summit altitude of 2,310 m, it connects the valleys Above stone and Bergell.

The air distance to the pass foot places is six miles to Bivio ( at 1,769 m located ) and four miles to Casaccia ( 1'458 m). At the summit, the European watershed between the basins of the Rhine and Po runs. From Septimerpass off two more passes can exceed: to the west the Forcellina ( 2,672 m ) to the obverse, to the east the Lungihnpass ( 2,645 m) to the Upper Engadine.

Once a significant, but not developed as a modern carriage road pass is now crossed only in the summer months, hikers and mountain bikers. The area of Bivio to the pass is mainly used by the Swiss military as firing ranges and training grounds.

History

The pass was one of the most important Alpine passes least since Roman times. As its advantages, the convenient location with direct north-south connection and the favorable topography, caused no major problems were the way farmers.

Excavations 2007/2008 was discovered on 2,340 m directly above the pass path, a still well recognizable Roman encampment of the Augustan Empire. It provided space for three each about 200 -strong units. Numerous finds have been, among other Roman spin Leads, tent pegs and coins suggest that the bearing 16 BC in preparation for the campaign Alps in 15 BC was built and then occupied until the second decade of AD in the summer months had. The soldiers should probably save the Septimerpass as an important supply route for the north of the Alps operating Roman army militarily and service. After Emperor Tiberius 16/17 AD gave the conquest of the right bank of Germania ( Magna Germania ) and the Rhine accepted as border, had the Roman army in the north initially no more military tasks. The elaborate replenishment deliveries were superfluous and thus probably also the army camp on the Septimer pass.

The possession of the entire Septimer from Chur to Chiavenna including the related tariff revenues made ​​since 960, the power base of the Chur bishop. About the pass - the High Middle Ages next great St. Bernard and Brenner, the most important transalpine transit link - attracted traders and armies, kings and emperors, for example, 961 Otto the Great and Frederick Barbarossa in 1164. The hospice Tgesa da Sett with a chapel on the mountain pass was built or renovated in 1100. In 1387, the bishop commissioned the Bergeller nobleman Jakob von Castelmur to expand the pass to a motorable road. The organization of transport operations carried out by the Porten Lenz, Tinizong, Stalla and Bergell Sopraporta.

With the opening of the Via Mala in 1473 but won the competing lower road over the Splügenpass opposite the upper road over the Septimer in importance, and by lack of maintenance of infrastructure fell back down to the mule track. After you won strengthened since the late Middle Ages pasture by clearing the rockfall and avalanche danger increased. Because of the dreaded especially in winter Hangtraversierung on Piz Blanch on the south side of the pass is also the regional traffic shifted increasingly to the much safer parallel route via the Julier and Maloja Pass. When in 1820 a road was built over the Julier, the Septimer got completely sidelined, and the 1646 newly built hospice fell into disrepair.

The cobbled narrow road of 1387 and later - built after the adoption of Armon Planta 1800 - Wegvariante have sections in very good condition. Particularly impressive are the passage on Säscel BATTUE ( hewn stone) and, below it which Cranch ( sweeping), which descends from going into the Val Maroz.

In 1938 the pass was a little to the south dam site, consisting of four, housed in caverns machine gun positions. The dam site should prevent the advance of infantry associations from the Bergell to the north, and thus circumvent the locks on Julier and Maloja. The dam site was abandoned in the 1990s in the wake of the concept of Army 95.