Tourbillon Castle

19 May 2021

The medieval building is perched high on a rock above Sion (canton Valais) and offers a beautiful view of the Rhone Valley and the Alps.

Around 1300, Bishop Boniface de Challant (1240-1308) built a castle on the hill. The castle served as a residence for the Bishop of Sion.

It was destroyed in 1417 during the Wars of Raron (1415-1419). The castle was rebuilt by Bishop William III (1407-1451). Destroyed again in 1788, the castle remained a ruin.  Wall paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries in the chapel bear witness to this past. The chapel was built at the same time as the castle.