| Bienvenue/Willkommen/Benvenuti al Castello di Tourbillon! The Diocese of Sion (a Roman Catholic territory in southern Switzerland) was originally founded in a land called Octodurum (now Martigny) on the western border with France in the early 4th century. In 589, Bishop St. Heliodorus transferred to Sion to get away from the threatening Rhône people in France. Eventually the Bishop had built several early churches in Sion. In the late 10th century, King Burgundy Randolph III granted the County of Valais to Bishop Hugo (998-1017). The combination of secular and spiritual power made Valais very powerful. To represent their strong power, they began to build large stone castles and cathedrals by the 12th century. One of those castle was Tourbillon Castle. It was built roughly between 1290 and 1308 by the Bishop of Sion for his principal residence. Tourbillon Castle (and the cathedral built on the neighboring hill) soon became a strong symbol for the area. In 1416 a large part of the castle was destroyed by the Patriots of the Valais. The damaged was later repaired by another Bishop in 1477. In 1788 a massive fire in Sion ripped through the castle. The large stone structure was abandoned and never rebuilt. The 15th century frescoes (style of wall painting) survived. Today you can access the castle ruins by climbing the steep steps that overlook Sion. The remains of the Castle are open to public and hiking around the restored ring wall that follows the shape of the hill is encouraged. Grazie/Merci/Danke für Ihren Besuch! |
http://us.wow.com/wiki/Tourbillon_Castle