Sion, Switzerland

As I mentioned in the previous post, Jenny's family came to visit us a few weeks ago.  After our weekend visit to Zermatt, we all drove northwest to the small town of Susten, where we stayed in a campground and the kids got to do some much needed swimming.  While we were in the area we spent a day in the small Swiss town of Sion.  Sion lies in the southwestern part of Switzerland, and it lies in the "French" speaking part of the country.  (Switzerland has 3 official languages...German in the north and central, French in the western part, and Italian in the southern part.)  Since we were in the French part of the country it was interesting to see all the differences in the architecture compared to bavarian influences in Zurich or Luzern for example.  Several of the buildings and streets resemble something you would see in Italy or southern France, as opposed to bavarian Switzerland.  One of the main attractions in Sion is the "Valere Basilica," which was a fortified church situated on a hill overlooking the town.  The church was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, and the organ inside is believed to be one of the oldest in the world.  Perched on an opposite hill nearby is "Tourbillon Castle."  The castle was built at the end of the 13th century and has been rebuilt several times over the centuries.  Back in the day it was primarily used as a chateau by the bishop, and there's a beautiful chapel inside with ancient frescoes.  The castle is now in ruins but we had a great time exploring the site, and we were even treated to a special tour of one of the towers by some of the curators.  

Sion has had a lot of history over the centuries.  The oldest trace of human settlement in the area goes back to about 6200 BC, and the town was later conquered by the Romans around 20 BC.  During the middle ages the town was an "imperial city" under Roman rule, and then centuries later the town became a state under French rule during the rein of Napolean.  Nowadays Sion is a quiet town that caters to tourists...and we had a great time exploring its streets and discovering its history.