Château La Soie (Ruin) (Savièse)

Already in prehistoric times, this place played an important role. The medieval castle was built in 1219 by Landri de Mont, Bishop of Sion. La Soie became the preferred residence of the Bishops of Sion, especially in the late 14th century. They felt freer and safer than in the capital itself. A castellan, to whom the bishop entrusted the defense, administered the village in front of the castle from the 13th century onwards.

In this castle, the long struggle between Bishop Guichard Tavelli and the Lords de la Tour ended in tragedy. On August 8, 1375, Antoine de la Tour's mercenaries managed to penetrate the curtain wall, seize the prelate, and throw him from the cliffs. This crime ignited the most severe unrest throughout Valais. Tavelli's successor, Eduard von Savoyen, was expelled by the patriots who seized La Soie. In 1384, Count Amadeus VII took possession of the castle, which he had administered by castellans. As with so many other fortresses in Valais, the Raron War was fatal for Soie Castle. During the siege in 1417, it had to capitulate, was plundered and ruined.