The Chapel of St. Gingolph

11 October 2020

The chapel of the Holy Family (la Sainte-Famille) in St. Gingolph (canton Wallis) was built in 1677.

It was the chapel of the castle (1588). It replaced the old chapel. The decoration and the arcades recall the Baroque era.

St. Gingolph was ruled by the Republic of the Seven Tithings. This Republique existed from 1628 to 1798  (La République des Sept-Dizains/Republik der Sieben Zenden) of Upper-Valais (Brique (Brig), Sion (Sitten), Sierre (Siders), Conge (Goms), Loèche (Leuk), Rarogne (Raron), and Viège (Visp) (see also Swiss Spectator 2610.2020).

St. Gingolph belonged to the Lower-Valais. That is why the chapel bears a strong resemblance to the chapel (1672) of St. George in Sion. Sion was the bishopric and the capital of the Republic.