Tourbillon
The castle of Tourbillon in Sion, set on the hill (protected natural area) opposite Valère, was built at the turn of the C 13th/C 14th by bishop Boniface de Challant, a native of Savoy, who made it his principal residence. From 1373, with the purchase of the castle of the Majorie, Tourbillon was relegated to the rank of Summer residence, but its majestic silhouette still remained a symbol of Episcopal power; a power against which the nobles of the Valais rebelledon many occasions.
The castle was definitively ruined during the fire which destroyed a part of the town of Sion in 1788. At the heart of the impressive crenellated ruins, the Saint-Georges and Saint-Grat Chapel is still well preserved. It was built and decorated with a first series of paintings at the beginning of the C 14th and a second series of paintings in the middle of C 15th, at the instigation of the tireless bishop Guillaume de Rarogne.
| Mid-March - End of April October - Mid-November Monday - Sunday 11.00 - 17.00 |
May - September Monday - Sunday 10.00 - 18.00 |
Mid-November - Mid-March |
Guided tours at 11.00, 12.00 and 15.30 from mid-March to end of April and from October to mid-November. At 11.00, 12.00, 15.30 and 16.30 from May to September.
