Saint-Maurice, Switzerland

For other places with the same name, see Saint-Maurice (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with St. Moritz.
Saint-Maurice
Municipality
View of Saint-Maurice with the Dent du Salantin (left) and the Dents du Midi in the background
View of Saint-Maurice with the Dent du Salantin (left) and the Dents du Midi in the background
Flag of Saint-Maurice
Flag
Coat of arms of Saint-Maurice
Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Maurice
Map
Saint-Maurice is located in Switzerland
Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice is located in Canton of Valais
Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice
Coordinates: 46°13′N 7°0′E / 46.217°N 7.000°E / 46.217; 7.000
CountrySwitzerland
CantonValais
DistrictSaint-Maurice
Area
[1]
 • Total
7.18 km2 (2.77 sq mi)
Elevation
414 m (1,358 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[2]
 • Total
4,571
 • Density640/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
1890
SFOS number6217
ISO 3166 codeCH-VS
Surrounded byBex (VD), Collonges, Evionnaz, Lavey-Morcles (VD), Massongex, Mex, Vérossaz
Websitewww.saint-maurice.ch
SFSO statistics
Aerial views of Saint-Maurice, Switzerland at twilight including the Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune and Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Scex.

Saint-Maurice is a city in the Swiss canton of Valais and the capital of the district of Saint-Maurice. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Mex merged into the municipality of Saint-Maurice.[3]

Saint-Maurice is the site of the Ancient Roman outpost of Agaunum and the 6th-century Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune. The city is located at the entrance of a pass leading to the upper part of the Rhône valley. As such, it has a strategic importance, and defence work were built from the 15th century to control this access. The Fortress Saint-Maurice was constructed in the surrounding mountainsides from 1880 through 1995.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der SchweizArchived 2015-11-13 at the Wayback Machine (in German) accessed 9 February 2013
  4. ^ Moret, J.-C. "Le secteur central de St Maurice - Le concept" (in French). Association Fort de Litroz. Retrieved 5 January 2011.