Conthey is a district in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It contains the following municipalities:
Martigny, Switzerland
Martigny is the capital city of the French-speaking district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
It is 495 meters high. It has a population of about 15,000 people. Martigny is at the joining of Italy, France and Switzerland, one road linking this town over the Great St. Bernard Pass to Aosta (Italy), and the other one, over the col de la Forclaz to Chamonix (France). In winter, Martigny is appreciated for its nearby ski resorts like Verbier.
In the first century BCE, present-day Martigny was an oppidum or vicus of a Celtic tribe, the Veragri. It was then called Octodurus or Octodurum. When Julius Caesar was in Gaul (57-56 BCE), he sent Servius Galba with the twelfth legion and some cavalry into the country of the Nantuates, Veragri, and Seduni. His purpose in sending this force was to open the pass over the Alps, the pass of the Great St. Bernard, by which road the "mercatores" had been used to travel at great risk, and with the payment of great tolls. ("B. G." iii. 1.) The people of the Alps allowed the Italian merchants to pass, because if they plundered them the merchants would not come; but they got as much out of them as they could. Galba, after taking many strong places, and receiving the submission of the people, sent off two cohorts into the country of the Nantuates, and with the remaining cohorts determined to winter in Octodurus, which was in a valley with no great extent of level ground near it, confined on all sides by very lofty mountains. There is some level ground at Martigny, and the valley of the Rhone at this part is not very narrow. Caesar says that the town of Octodurus was divided into parts by a river, but he does not mention the river's name. It is the Dranse. Galba gave one part of the town to the Galli to winter in, and assigned the other to his troops. He fortified himself with a ditch and rampart, and thought he was safe. He was, however, suddenly attacked by the Galli before his defences were complete or all his supplies were brought into the camp. Thus began the Battle of Octodurus. The Romans obstinately defended themselves in a six hours' fight; when, seeing that they could no longer keep the enemy out, they made a sortie, which was successful. The Romans estimated the Galli at more than 30,000, and Caesar says that more than a third part were destroyed. The slaughter of the enemy was prodigious, which has been made an objection to Caesar's veracity, or to Galba's, who made his report to the commander. It has also been objected that the valley is not wide enough at Martigny to hold the 30,000 men. There may be error in the number that attacked, and also in the number who died. After this escape Galba prudently withdrew his troops, and marching through the country of the Nantuates reached the land of the Allobroges, where he wintered.
The region joined the Roman Empire. In 47, Emperor Claudius founded Forum Claudii Augusti, later renamed Forum Claudii Vallensium to avoid confusion with another city that was dear to him. Octodurus was the principal town of the area until the displacement of the episcopal see to Sion in the 4th century. Pliny (iii. c. 20) says that the Octodurenses received the "Latinitas" ("Latio donati"). The town appears in the Antonine Itinerary and in the Tabula Peutingeriana. In the "Notit. Prov.", the place is called Civitas Vallensium Octodurus. At a later period it was called Forum Claudii Vallensium Octodurensium, as an inscription shows. One authority speaks of the remains of a Roman aqueduct at Martigny. Many coins, and other memorials of the Roman time, have been found about the place.
The name "Octodur" is manifestly Celtic. The second part of the name is "Dur", water. The first part, probably some corrupt form, is not explained. The town sat on the Roman road from Augusta Praetoria (modern Aosta) in Italy.
The Romans left many ruins. The city is known for the amphitheatre, which was restored in 1978. Cow fights are held in the amphitheatre during early autumn for the "Comptoir". The city is also famous for its museum, the Pierre Gianadda Foundation, built on top of Roman ruins.
The area has some apricot orchards, and vines on steep slopes.
Mattertal
Mattertal is a valley in the Alps of Switzerland which begins on the side of the Matterhorn. The "Matterhorn" is one of the most famous mountains in the world because of its beauty, and because it is hard to climb.
The "Mattertal" is a valley that was made by a glacier (a slowly-moving river of ice) moving down from the mountain. This can be seen from the deep U shape of the valley. (Valleys made by a fast-running stream are V-shaped). Because the sides of the valley are very steep, there are often landslides. One can be seen in the photo taken near Randa village. Many houses in the villages are called chalets. These can be seen in the picture of Täsch village.
In the Mattertal are villages which include Zermatt, Täsch, Randa, Grächen, and St. Niklaus. Many tourists like to stay in the villages to see the view, to go walking, skiing or mountain climbing. The traditional work of the people is dairy farming, but many people work in the tourist industry.
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
It is found to the north of the Matterhorn in the German-speaking and mostly Roman Catholic section of the canton. It is pretty far southeast of Gstaad, and is pretty close to the border with Italy.
Zermatt has a local population of 5,500 people, but the actual population changes through the seasons as tourists come and go.
Zermatt is a famed ski resort and is a tourist destination. Until the mid-1800s, it was mostly a farming community; its name, as well as that of the Matterhorn itself, derives from the alpine meadows, or "matten", in the valley. In the German language, the town is "Zur Matte", or "in the meadow."
The town was "discovered" mid-century by British mountaineers, most notably Edward Whymper, whose conquest of the Matterhorn made the village famous worldwide.
Zermatt is a closed village, which means that non-Swiss nationals are not permitted to buy property within the area. May is the worst time to visit this city, as most of the streets are muddy.
Zermatt is a good place to start many hikes into the surrounding mountains, such as the Haute Route that ultimately leads to Chamonix in France. A complex of cable cars and chair lifts carry skiers in the winter and hikers in the summer; the highest of them leads to the Klein Matterhorn, a small outcropping on the ridge between Breithorn and Matterhorn that offers cool views in all directions. It is possible to cross into Italy via the Cervinia cable car station.
Any automobile that uses an engine is not allowed in Zermatt because of concerns for air pollution. Electric vehicles are allowed for local commerces. The Cantonal police allow some people to park in the northern section of this city. Some emergency vehicles (firetrucks, ambulance..) are also allowed to use combustion engines.
Most people reach Zermatt by train or cable car. Trains also leave for Zermatt from Visp and Brig.
Zermatt is well known throughout the world for its great skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. The high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously up until the summer.
Skiing in Zermatt is split up into four distinct areas; Sunnegga, Gornegrat, Klein Matterhorn and Schwarzsee. There is also a connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche in Italy.
Trail Map.
Ajax the Lesser
Ajax the Lesser (Ancient Greek: Αἴας) was a Greek hero from the Trojan War, who was the son of Oïleus.
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters are letters after a person's name. They are used most in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms to show that the person has a certain: