Sierre
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 Sierre
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Location of Sierre
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| Coordinates: 46°18′N 7°32′E / 46.300°N 7.533°ECoordinates: 46°18′N 7°32′E / 46.300°N 7.533°E | ||
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Valais | |
| District | Sierre | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor |
Président (list) François Genoud FDP/PRD/PLR (as of February 2014) |
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| Area | ||
| • Total | 19.18 km2 (7.41 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 533 m (1,749 ft) | |
| Population (Dec 2015) | ||
| • Total | 16,711 | |
| • Density | 870/km2 (2,300/sq mi) | |
| Postal code | 3960 | |
| SFOS number | 6248 | |
| Surrounded by | Chalais, Anniviers, Chermignon, Chippis, Grône, Lens, Montana, Randogne, Saint-Léonard, Salgesch, Venthône, Veyras | |
| Twin towns |
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| Website |
www SFSO statistics |
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Sierre (German: Siders) is the capital of the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of 16,332.
It is the last official French speaking city in Valais before the French–German language border of the canton located at the forêt de Finges, few kilometres after the town. A German-speaking minority lives in Sierre, as it counts around 8% of the population.
Sierre is first mentioned about 800 as Sidrium, though a 12th-century document refers to the village being founded in 515. In 1179 it was mentioned as Sirro and in 1393 as Syder.
The area around the modern town, especially Gerunden hill, was settled very early. Archeological sites on Gerunden hill have produced neolithic objects and grave goods (including a polished stone ax), Bronze Age weapons and jewelry, Early Iron Age objects and Roman era inscriptions, jars, jewelry and coins. A soapstone pot from the Early Middle Ages and a gold signet ring with the name Graifarius from the 6th century have also been found. Other sites on nearby hills and near the chapel of Saint-Ginier, the Château de Villa, the churches of Sainte-Croix, Grands-Prés, Muraz, Glarey and Bernunes have yielded up graves originating from the Bronze Age to the Carolingian era. In Grands-Prés there is a fire pit from the beginning of the Late Iron Age (5th–6th century BC).
During the Roman era it appears that there was no major population center, but rather several scattered groupings of separate, upper class dwellings. Under the chapel of Saint-Ginier, the remains of a Roman era house or estate have been discovered. Other Roman ruins have been found near the Château de Villa, in the church of Sainte-Croix (small terraced bath), in Grands-Prés by Muraz another house and in Gerunden the remains of buttress reinforced masonry indicate that a public or government building once stood there. Five altars were found in Saint-Ginier, along with another two in the scattered settlements, one of which was dedicated to Mercury. During the early imperial period, the duumvir or mayor of the Civitas Vallensium, Caius Cominus Chiu, lived in Sierre. In the late imperial period, the family of the senator of Vinelia Modestina also lived in the area.
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Wikipedia