Martigny

In winter 57-56 BC, Julius Caesar sent legate Servius Galba with the Twelfth Legion to secure the Great St. Bernard Pass for Roman merchants at Octodurus (modern Martigny). The Veragri and Seduni tribes attacked with a force Caesar claimed numbered 30,000, surrounding the Roman camp. After six hours of desperate defense, centurion Publius Sextius Baculus urged a sortie from all gates — the gamble worked, routing the attackers. Despite this victory, Galba withdrew, short on supplies. The Veragri were a Gallic people who controlled the upper Rhone valley and charged tolls on Alpine crossings.

Dogs were introduced to the Great St. Bernard hospice between 1660 and 1670 as watchdogs. By the early 18th century, the monks trained them for mountain rescue. Over nearly 200 years, the dogs helped rescue an estimated 2,000 people. The most famous was Barry der Menschenretter ('Barry the People-Rescuer'), who lived at the hospice from 1800 to 1812 and saved over 40 lives. Barry retired to Bern and died in 1814; his preserved body is displayed at the Naturhistorisches Museum Bern. The breed was officially named Saint Bernard in 1880. The Fondation Barry was established in Martigny in 2005.

In 1976, engineer Léonard Gianadda began construction of an apartment building in Martigny when workers unearthed a Gallo-Roman temple from the 1st century AD. That same year, his brother Pierre was killed in a plane accident. Rather than destroy the temple, Léonard built a cultural centre over the ruins — the Fondation Pierre Gianadda, inaugurated in 1978. In 1993, a Mithraeum was also discovered — the only one open to the public in Switzerland, with three stone altars, bronze figurines, and 2,091 votive coins dating from 378-402 AD. Over 10 million visitors have seen the foundation's exhibitions.

In May 1800, Napoleon chose the Grand-Saint-Bernard as the route for his army of approximately 40,000 men. He established headquarters in Martigny from May 17 to 20. About 6,000 men per day crossed single file through heavy snow. At the summit, the hospice monks handed each soldier two glasses of wine and rye bread with cheese. Napoleon reached the summit on May 20 — though contrary to Jacques-Louis David's famous painting, he crossed on a mule, not a rearing stallion. David's painting inscribes the names of Hannibal and Charlemagne alongside Napoleon's on the rocks.

The Combat de Reines (queen cow fights) are held in the Roman amphitheatre of Martigny, built at the beginning of the 2nd century during Emperor Trajan's reign, with a capacity of 5,000-6,000 spectators. Hérens cattle — a small, fierce, ancient Valais breed — naturally push and shove horn-to-horn to establish herd dominance. The winner earns the title La Reine des Reines (Queen of Queens) and a ceremonial bell. The fights are held during the Foire du Valais, which attracts over 200,000 visitors annually.

The Tour de la Bâtiaz, built between 1260 and 1268 by Pierre II de Savoie, stands on a rocky promontory above Martigny. The castle was fought over between the House of Savoy and the bishops of Sion for centuries. In 1475, the Seven Tithings of the Upper Valais seized the Lower Valais from Savoy. In 1518, during civil war, the castle was besieged and burned and has remained in ruin since. A 1980 restoration opened it to the public with a panoramic view and a seasonal medieval tavern.

The Fondation Pierre Gianadda was built over a Gallo-Roman temple discovered in 1976 and inaugurated in 1978 in memory of Léonard Gianadda's brother Pierre, killed in a plane accident. The foundation houses the Musée gallo-romain, a car museum with 50 classic automobiles (1897-1939), a sculpture park, and rotating world-class art exhibitions featuring works by Van Gogh, Picasso, Rodin, Giacometti, and Chagall. Over 10 million visitors have attended. Léonard Gianadda received the European Heritage Award in 2019.

An episcopal see was established at Octodurus in the 4th century, making it the oldest bishopric in Switzerland. The first bishop was Theodorus, who signed the acts of the Council of Aquileia in 381. In 580, Bishop Saint Héliodore transferred the see from Octodurus to Sion, abandoning the flood-prone site where the Dranse joins the Rhône. The Diocese of Sion traces its continuous history back to Martigny — one of the oldest in western Christendom. The relics of Theodorus were transferred to Sion at the time of the move.