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historical monument by the canton of Valais at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the condition of some of the masonry made tourist visits risky. In 1963, a Pro
Tourbillon association was created and, two years later, the Swiss League for National Heritage organised the sale of a gold shield which enabled consolidation work to begin. In 1970, Tourbillon was recognised as a monument of national importance. The last major consolidation work took place between 1993 and 1999. In 1999, the Bishopric of Sion ceded the site to the Tourbillon Castle Foundation, and 400,000 francs were set aside by the Canton of Valais, the municipality of Sion and its bourgeoisie to maintain the castle. Since 2009, the chapel has been undergoing restoration.
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627:, a relative of Édouard de Savoie, laid siege to Sion and partially destroyed the town. Once the revolt had been brought under control, he imposed a severe peace treaty on the rebels allowing the bishop to recover his castles. This did not prevent the bishop from leaving his post two years later, and it was not until 1392 that a unanimous candidate was found by the diocese of Sion. Between the resignation of Édouard de Savoie-Achaïe and the election of the new bishop, the Count of Savoy made men available to guard the castle. As conflicts between the diocese and the people were still going on, the members of the diocese did not dare to show themselves in public, and they had to pay a chaplain to say mass in the Tourbillon chapel.
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people in 1437 despite belonging to the family of Raron. In the years 1440 to 1450, de Gualdo organised the total reconstruction of
Tourbillon Castle. From that point the castle would no longer be subject to major modifications for several centuries, but was regularly maintained; it even withstood several armed conflicts in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 17th century, it seems to have been used as a summer residence and, at the end of the century, it still seems to have been used for military purposes, mainly as a watchtower to warn the surrounding castles in the event of invasion.
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north-east, are attached to the wall of the enclosure. The large main tower is similar to a dungeon and is divided into two parts: the bishop's flats to the east and a reception room to the west. To the west of the courtyard are the garrison quarters, to the south a corner tower, to the south-east a chapel, its sacristy and another corner tower, and to the north a cistern for use in case of siege. To the east, a gate gives access to the rest of the plateau of the
Tourbillon hill and to the ancient fortifications of the eastern access.
422:, granted the County of Valais to Bishop Hugo (998–1017). The combination of spiritual and secular power made the Prince-Bishops the most powerful nobles in the Upper Rhone valley. Sion became the political and religious center of the region. By the 12th century they began building impressive churches and castles in Sion to represent their power and administer their estates. Valère, as the residence of the cathedral chapter in Sion, was one-third of the administrative center of the powerful Diocese of Sion. In the 12th century the
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988:. The tower included the bishop's room, which can be located thanks to a large window on the south side, and traces of a chimney remain, although it seems to have disappeared during the reconstruction of the 15th century. At the same period, a floor was added to the keep, and a new staircase was built. The original entrance to the building was on the north side, but was later moved to the south side. The reception room was lit by large low arched windows reminiscent of those in
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affecting the Valais finally left the bishopric of Sion without the resources needed to finance the work, and
Tourbillon remained in ruins. In the 19th century, when the Bishop of Sion Maurice-Fabien Roten had an episcopal palace built in Sion and abandoned the Majorie Castle, the materials remaining in Tourbillon – iron, stone slabs, etc. – were reused for other constructions, and the castle fell into oblivion.
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392:. In the nineteenth century, historians claimed that a Roman tower occupied the top of Tourbillon Hill before the construction of the castle. However, historians have never been able to prove the existence of this tower; the ruins that are supposed to be the foundations of the tower actually date back to the construction of the castle chapel in the
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a member of a powerful family from the Upper Valais who was a rival of the de la Tour family. After having beaten
Antoine de la Tour, the Valaisans, pushed by Peter of Raron, rose several times against the successor of Tavelli, Édouard de Savoie-Achaïe. In 1384, the Valaisans took over the Tourbillon, Majorie and Soie castles.
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as it was considered too costly. The castle walls were consolidated, the tower to the south of the enclosure was rebuilt and the wall in the north-west corner was partially destroyed and then rebuilt identically. The work was completed in 1887, and
Tourbillon became a favourite destination for tourists and the people of Sion.
315:. It was rebuilt by Bishop William III of Raron some thirty years later. In 1788 it was completely destroyed by another fire. The stones of the castle were used for some time for construction in the region before the ruins were reinforced in the 19th century to make it a historical monument. The castle is a Swiss
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woodwork – roofs, floors and furniture – disappeared entirely. The dungeon chambers were furnished with portraits of all the bishops of Sion, all of whom were lost in the fire. However, the lack of testimonies from the period makes it impossible to know the exact extent of the losses caused by the fire.
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The castle underwent several small arrangements over time: a small lodge was built in 1893 in the dovecote tower; in 1917 the watertightness of the chapel roof was reassured; in the 1930s, the north-east corner of the keep was rebuilt to support its eastern face. Tourbillon Castle was recognised as a
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In the second half of the 19th century, the people and authorities of the Valais began to worry about the conservation of the
Tourbillon Castle. With financial assistance from the State, restoration projects were launched; the idea of restoring Tourbillon to its medieval appearance was soon abandoned
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On 24 May 1788, a fire broke out near the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Sion before being spread by a violent wind towards the north-east of the town. Although Valère Castle was spared, a large part of the town, including the
Majorie Castle and Tourbillon, were seriously affected. In Tourbillon, all the
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In March 1361, after nine years as bailiff, Amédée VI signed the Treaty of Evian and gave up interfering in the affairs of the bishop of Sion. In 1375, Guichard
Tavelli was assassinated by supporters of Antoine de la Tour, son of Pierre, which led the Valaisans to ally themselves with Peter of Raron,
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of Savoy, who sent negotiators who managed to reach agreements with the people of Sion. A third conflict, this time with a nobleman from the Upper Valais named Pierre de la Tour, broke out in 1352 when he wanted to emancipate the bishop. Pierre de la Tour's men set fire to a castle in Sierre and were
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The north wall of the choir overlooks the sacristy. The sacristy is illuminated by three openings on the east wall – two lancets topped by an oculus – and by a group of lancets on the south wall; one of them, at man's height, was probably used for the defence of the castle. On the south wall are the
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It was built at the end of the 13th century under the direction of Bishop
Boniface de Challant. Of a defensive nature and perched on the top of a steep, rocky hill, it served as the residence of the bishops of Sion. The Tourbillon Castle was badly damaged by the conflicts between the bishops and the
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Access to the Château de Tourbillon is either from the east or the west; the other sides of the hill are too steep. The western access is cut off by a fortification wall, equipped with a gate, which was most certainly overhung by a bypass, as the remaining machicolations and merlons suggest. To the
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The first known mention of the name "Tourbillon" dates back to 1268 in the form of "Turbillon". Its origin is not known, but there are two hypotheses proposed by the archaeologist François-Olivier Dubuis in 1960. The name could come from the terms "turbiculum" or "turbil," meaning "spinning top" or
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This did not prevent new revolts, which were violently punished by Amédée VI; he ordered the town of Sion to be pillaged and partially burnt down. Although the castle was not affected by the revolts, the Count of Savoy asked the vice-bailiff to improve the defences of Tourbillon. The modifications
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The Tourbillon Chapel has undergone two different cycles of mural paintings: one during its construction in the 14th century and the other in the 15th century. While the construction of the latter slightly damaged the former, it helped above all to preserve it. For both cycles, the paintings were
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The main gate of the castle can be reached from the west access. Crossing this gate leads to a large courtyard bounded by a high crenellated wall. All of the castle buildings date from the construction of the castle in the 13th century and all of them, with the exception of the large tower to the
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In 1418, André dei Benzi de Gualdo was appointed administrator of the diocese of Sion before becoming bishop in 1431 on the death of William II, who remained in Bern. He managed to restore peace, so that his successor, William III of Raron, nephew of William II, was accepted by the clergy and the
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Several deeds signed in Tourbillon as early as May 1307 show that the habitable parts of the castle were completed when Boniface died on 13 June 1308. However, according to the dating of some of the joists, it would appear that the castle was not completely finished at that time. It was therefore
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held the episcopal office, as two members of the family – William I in 1392, then William II, Witschard's uncle, in 1402 – succeeded each other at the head of the bishopric of Sion. The population then organised such a huge uprising that William II fled to the Soie Castle and Witschard went to
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With the destruction of the Majorie and de Tourbillon castles, the bishop of Sion was deprived of his residence in Sion. He quickly ordered the reconstruction of La Majorie, but left the renovation of Tourbillon for later, while ensuring that its walls did not collapse. The various conflicts
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in 1373, Tourbillon became a temporary residence for the bishop but retained its military importance. On several occasions, Tourbillon was taken by force by Tavelli's enemies. On two occasions, the inhabitants of Sion laid siege to the castle and the bishop was forced to call for help from
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The construction of Tourbillon castle is most probably linked to a major project to improve the fortifications of the town of Sion between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The beginning of the works is estimated at 1297 or 1298. They were supervised by Boniface de Challant,
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located in the same place: on the chevet wall, around the north and south windows of the chevet, on the south wall and around its windows, on the vault, on the north wall and finally on the triumphal arch. The paintings in the first cycle depict various scenes, such as the
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The castle is protected by nature; very steep terrain surrounds the structure. Accessible only from the east or west, it consists of a courtyard protected by surrounding walls. The castle has a keep, its own chapel and a garrison building.
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of the castle was created by the Valais-Wallis Time Machine association. At a cost of 20,000 Swiss francs, this model enabled to visualise Tourbillon before the fire of 1788. The project is based on period sources as well as
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363:. The top of the hill forms a natural plateau with an average length of 200 m (660 ft) and a maximum width of 50 m (160 ft). The castle rests on the western part of the plateau, and its
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The castle is open to the public with free admission from 15 March to 16 November. An on-site guide is available to visit the chapel as well as for a guided tour of the castle ruins. The castle is a Swiss
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and several thousand trebuchet stones were stored in the castle, hoardings were built at the top of the castle walls and tower and the castle cistern was filled in the event of a siege.
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were taken by force and then burnt down by the population in 1417. Shortly afterwards, the Soie Castle was also besieged and destroyed and the bishop fled to Bern as well. The
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The castle of Tourbillon was in a pitiful state; its interiors and roofs were totally destroyed by fire and its walls were cracked in many places. It was therefore unusable.
381:"small cone," or from a combination of the terms "turris," "tour," and the proper name "Billion" or "Billon," which appears in several documents from the thirteenth century.
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arrested while trying to inflict the same fate on the castle of Tourbillon. In exchange for the help of Amadeus VI, Tavelli offered the office of bailiff to the
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in the early 4th century. In 589 the bishop, St. Heliodorus, transferred the see to Sion, as Octodurum was frequently endangered by the inundations of the
1165:. The wall paintings of the second cycle also represent the Annunciation and Saint George, but also other saints that are more difficult to identify.
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agreed to help the Raron, and their troops set fire to Sion in 1418. Peace was finally signed in 1420, and the Raron family regained all its rights.
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A final conflict took place at the beginning of the 15th century. Witschard of Raron, son of Peter, succeeded his father as Grand Bailiff, and the
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In the 18th century, the castle was used less and less, as its difficult access had led the bishops to look for houses elsewhere. Developments in
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north of the gate – thus higher up the hill – there is a semi-circular watchtower built into the wall. The wall once had a narrow sentry walk.
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355:. It is located on the Tourbillon hill and rises 182 meters (597 ft) above the city of Sion. The hill consists of biogenic and clastic
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The access to the east was also fortified, but the only remaining elements are ruins of walls pierced with narrow openings for archers.
415:. Very little is known about the early Bishops and the early churches in Sion. However, in the late 10th century the last King of Upper
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dwelling dated to the fifth millennium BC. Other discoveries, such as dry stone walls, prove that the castle site was used during the
992:. The large window on the west side of this room did not exist originally; it replaced two small openings during the reconstruction.
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also meant that the castle was no longer of great strategic use. The Tourbillon castle was then emptied and was no longer guarded.
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1078:. Originally, the ceiling of the west bay was made of wood, but during one of the reconstructions it was reworked into a
426:(du Glarier) was built in the town below Valère hill. The Cathedral became the seat of the Diocese of Sion, while the
1850:"Et si Tourbillon n'avait pas brûlé? Une reconstitution 3D montre à quoi ressemblait le château avant sa destruction"
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Vincent Gillioz (16 September 1999). Le Nouvelliste (ed.). "Histoire et avenir d'un château" (in French).
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at the bases of the castle walls and digging ditches on the plateau east of the castle. More than 5,000
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and has had a vaulted ceiling since its construction. This ceiling rests on a crossing of ogives.
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603:. The latter appointed a vice-bailiff to administer the region and installed him in Tourbillon.
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773:. The model is available for free online, and has also been used to create a scale model.
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1082:. The only opening on the south side dating from the construction of the building was an
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In 1994, excavations on the plateau east of the Tourbillon Castle revealed a
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was covered with a pyramidal roof, and the reception room had a low-pitched
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from the time of its construction until Guichard Tavelli, who preferred the
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Les peintures murales du XVe siècle de la chapelle du château de Tourbillon
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Mural painting of Saint Sebastian and Saint Apollina from the second cycle.
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Mural painting of Saint Fabian and Saint Catherine from the second cycle.
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The corner tower to the south-east of the enclosure seen from the inside.
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550:. He imitated other members of his family, who had castles built in the
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1825:(in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Archived from
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1070:, is located to the south-east of the enclosure and consists of two
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The corner tower to the south of the enclosure seen from the inside.
367:, in the center of the plateau, is located on a small rocky mound.
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The fortifications of the western access seen from the outside.
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The fortifications of the western access seen from the inside.
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339:(left) and Tourbillon castle (right) as seen from Uvrier.
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Mural painting of the Annunciation from the first cycle.
2039:(in French). Genève: Université de Genève. p. 132.
1209:
Mural painting of the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.
1074:; the one accessible from the north-west serves as the
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The Tourbillon Castle became the main residence of the
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people of Valais. It was burnt down in 1417 during the
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in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the
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1895:
1801:
Sonia Bellemare (2 June 2010). "Il hante le château".
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The ruins of the fortifications of the eastern access.
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The ruins of the fortifications of the eastern access.
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Cultural property of national significance in Valais
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1288:"Groupes lithologiques sur la carte de Tourbillon"
1181:Mural painting of King David from the first cycle.
2057:(in French). Olten: Éditions Walter. p. 295.
1406:(in French). Sion: Sedum Nostrum. pp. 12–14.
1314:"Données géologiques sur la carte de Tourbillon"
1090:of the chapel is adorned by two tori resting on
554:to strengthen their power on several occasions.
240:Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance
1066:The chapel of Tourbillon Castle, dedicated to
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951:The building housing the chapel and sacristy.
817:The fortification gate of the western access.
8:
311:, a war between the people of Sion and the
2240:Buildings and structures completed in 1308
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1237:Mural painting of the coat of arms of the
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351:, on the territory of the municipality of
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698:painting shows Tourbillon Chapel in 1872.
250:Tourbillon, ruines du château - Moyen Age
111:
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2012:
2000:
1988:
1750:"Les campagnes de restauration récentes"
359:based on marly phyllites and calcareous
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2053:Donnet, André; Blondel, Louis (1963).
855:The castle fortifications to the east.
791:The castle fortifications to the west.
726:
722:heritage site of national significance
577:to the south-west of the castle walls.
317:heritage site of national significance
2048:(in French). Constantin. p. 112.
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1022:View from the north-west of the keep.
403:was founded in Octodurum, now called
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1391:. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
639:Tourbillon Castle from the northeast
487:: Location of a supposed Roman tower
343:The Tourbillon Castle is located in
1776:"Château de Tourbillon – Bienvenue"
529:at that time and descendant of the
730:3D models of the Tourbillon Castle
667:Return to peace and reconstruction
25:
1848:Noémie, Fournier (19 June 2023).
1381:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913).
1008:The keep as seen from south-west.
558:Boniface's successor and cousin,
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2245:Castles in the canton of Valais
1169:Mural paintings of the chapel.
1098:remains of a liturgical pool.
1:
652:to seek help. Tourbillon and
430:of Sion lived in the castle.
897:The buildings of the castle.
519:Map of the Tourbillon Castle
424:Cathedral Notre Dame de Sion
187:Tourbillon Castle foundation
94:Show map of Canton of Valais
831:Path leading to the castle.
769:and aerial and terrestrial
27:Castle in Sion, Switzerland
2271:
1161:or Saint George slaying a
1128:Keystone to the Agnus Dei.
631:Victim of the Raron affair
562:, who completed the work.
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2030:Delaloye, Claire (1999).
1543:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1507:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1480:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1456:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1339:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1275:Donnet & Blondel 1963
1102:The chapel of Tourbillon.
782:Access and fortifications
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55:
48:
39:
2046:Le château de Tourbillon
1819:"Kantonsliste A-Objekte"
1807:(in French). p. 27.
2044:Elsig, Patrick (1997).
1114:East bay of the chapel.
741:Before the fire of 1788
589:. After Tavelli bought
124:Show map of Switzerland
2214:Castles of Switzerland
2113:Castles and fortresses
1402:Patrick Elsig (2000).
1241:from the second cycle.
1036:Stairwell of the keep.
909:The garrison quarters.
699:
640:
607:included building new
578:
340:
2076:Château de Tourbillon
1780:Château de Tourbillon
1754:Château de Tourbillon
1388:Catholic Encyclopedia
1050:Interior of the keep.
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573:
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281:Château de Tourbillon
42:Château de Tourbillon
18:Château de Tourbillon
2078:at Wikimedia Commons
1404:Le château de Valère
218:Boniface de Challant
155:46.23639°N 7.36694°E
1829:on 2 September 2016
980:, the tower of the
923:The castle cistern.
337:Basilique de Valère
301:Basilique de Valère
151: /
2055:Châteaux du Valais
1728:, p. 106–107.
1716:, p. 101–102.
1692:, p. 100–101.
996:The castle's keep.
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560:Aymon de Châtillon
531:Viscounts of Aosta
390:prehistoric period
341:
255:Reference no.
2255:Sion, Switzerland
2227:
2226:
2219:Castles of Europe
2183:Stockalper Palace
2115:of the Canton of
2074:Media related to
1889:, p. 12, 16.
1159:Jesus of Nazareth
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566:Constant conflict
376:Before the castle
357:sedimentary rocks
273:Tourbillon Castle
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160:46.23639; 7.36694
118:Tourbillon Castle
88:Tourbillon Castle
62:Tourbillon Castle
35:Tourbillon Castle
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179:Site information
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2003:, p. 7–15.
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2064:External links
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1854:Le Nouvelliste
1840:
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1804:Le Nouvelliste
1793:
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2014:
2013:Delaloye 1999
2009:
2006:
2002:
2001:Delaloye 1999
1997:
1994:
1990:
1989:Delaloye 1999
1985:
1983:
1979:
1976:, p. 37.
1975:
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1967:
1963:
1958:
1955:
1951:
1946:
1943:
1939:
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1915:
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1904:, p. 17.
1903:
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1667:
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1643:
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1614:
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1607:
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1599:
1596:, p. 60.
1595:
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1583:
1578:
1575:
1572:, p. 56.
1571:
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1544:
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1532:
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1512:
1509:, p. 23.
1508:
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1497:, p. 52.
1496:
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1482:, p. 22.
1481:
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1457:
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678:
677:siege warfare
673:
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428:Prince-Bishop
425:
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247:Official name
241:
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221:
217:
215:Built by
213:
209:
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196:
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186:
182:
177:
173:
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136:
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106:
76:
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59:
54:
47:
43:
38:
33:
30:
19:
2198:Zen-Ruffinen
2187:
2054:
2045:
2032:
2023:Bibliography
2015:, p. 8.
2008:
1996:
1991:, p. 7.
1969:
1957:
1945:
1933:
1921:
1909:
1882:
1870:
1858:. Retrieved
1853:
1843:
1831:. Retrieved
1827:the original
1823:KGS Inventar
1822:
1813:
1802:
1796:
1784:. Retrieved
1779:
1770:
1758:. Retrieved
1753:
1744:
1733:
1721:
1709:
1697:
1685:
1673:
1661:
1649:
1637:
1625:
1613:
1601:
1589:
1577:
1565:
1538:
1526:
1514:
1502:
1475:
1463:
1451:
1424:
1412:
1403:
1397:
1386:
1370:
1358:
1346:
1334:
1322:. Retrieved
1317:
1308:
1296:. Retrieved
1291:
1282:
1270:
1239:Raron family
1151:Annunciation
1147:
1096:
1068:Saint George
1065:
1062:Architecture
975:
891:
850:
785:
759:
718:
714:
710:
707:Conservation
701:
696:Raphael Ritz
686:
674:
670:
662:
645:Raron family
642:
621:
605:
580:
575:Corner tower
556:
552:Aosta Valley
523:
502:: Courtyard
499:
494:
489:
484:
479:
474:
469:
464:
459:
457:: Watchtower
454:
450:
434:Construction
398:
383:
379:
342:
321:
313:Raron family
309:Raron affair
305:
280:
272:
271:
227:Raron affair
223:Battles/wars
202:Site history
192:Open to
174:Castle Ruins
41:
29:
2148:Gestelnburg
1856:(in French)
1782:(in French)
1756:(in French)
1320:(in French)
1294:(in French)
1155:Crucifixion
978:Middle Ages
777:Description
760:In 2023, a
625:Amedeus VII
587:Soie Castle
544: [
534: [
420:Rudolph III
394:Middle Ages
345:Switzerland
158: /
134:Coordinates
2234:Categories
2188:Tourbillon
2143:Fairy Rock
2133:Beauregard
1974:Elsig 1997
1962:Elsig 1997
1950:Elsig 1997
1938:Elsig 1997
1926:Elsig 1997
1914:Elsig 1997
1902:Elsig 1997
1887:Elsig 1997
1875:Elsig 1997
1786:27 October
1760:20 October
1726:Elsig 1997
1714:Elsig 1997
1702:Elsig 1997
1690:Elsig 1997
1678:Elsig 1997
1666:Elsig 1997
1654:Elsig 1997
1642:Elsig 1997
1630:Elsig 1997
1618:Elsig 1997
1606:Elsig 1997
1594:Elsig 1997
1582:Elsig 1997
1570:Elsig 1997
1558:Elsig 1997
1531:Elsig 1997
1519:Elsig 1997
1495:Elsig 1997
1468:Elsig 1997
1444:Elsig 1997
1429:Elsig 1997
1417:Elsig 1997
1363:Elsig 1997
1351:Elsig 1997
1324:13 October
1298:13 October
1262:References
986:gable roof
609:trebuchets
596:Amadeus VI
497:: Sacristy
462:: Entrance
143:46°14′11″N
2128:La Bâtiaz
386:Neolithic
347:, in the
210:1297–1308
2210:See also
1833:25 April
762:3D model
492:: Chapel
477:: Palace
417:Burgundy
411:and the
405:Martigny
327:Location
146:7°22′1″E
2163:Saillon
2158:Majorie
2138:Chalais
1860:19 June
1092:columns
976:In the
753:In 2022
658:Bernese
467:: Tower
451:Legend:
371:History
291:in the
283:) is a
2117:Valais
1383:"Sion"
1379:
1163:dragon
1153:, the
1084:oculus
1057:Chapel
613:glacis
472:: Keep
413:Drance
361:shales
297:Valais
293:canton
285:castle
277:French
229:(1417)
2173:Saxon
2037:(PDF)
1088:choir
888:Court
548:]
538:]
409:RhĂ´ne
207:Built
184:Owner
50:Sion
2178:Soie
2153:Leuk
1862:2023
1835:2011
1788:2020
1762:2020
1326:2020
1300:2020
1076:nave
1072:bays
982:keep
972:Keep
650:Bern
399:The
365:keep
353:Sion
335:The
289:Sion
258:7044
171:Type
1157:of
295:of
287:in
197:Yes
2236::
1981:^
1894:^
1852:.
1821:.
1778:.
1752:.
1550:^
1487:^
1436:^
1385:.
1316:.
1290:.
724:.
611:,
546:fr
536:fr
396:.
319:.
279::
2105:e
2098:t
2091:v
1864:.
1837:.
1790:.
1764:.
1328:.
1302:.
500:K
495:I
490:H
485:G
480:F
475:E
470:D
465:C
460:B
455:A
275:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
