Written by The Dizains in Valais are the ancestors of today’s 13 Districts (the 13 stars on the Valais flag). The District concept exists in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, each with its own particularities and history.
The first traces of this are found in Valais in 1355 under the name “Decima”, designating 10 regions along the Rhone Valley:
Mons Dei (Conches), Brigues, Viège, Rarogne, Loèche, Sierre, Sion, Ardon-Chamoson, Martigny, Massongex (=10)
1571 Fondation République des 7 Dizains (the 10 minus Chamoson, Martigny and Massongex).
1613 Bishop’s Declaration of Independence.
1613 – 1798 Republic of the 7 Dizains (185 years)
1634 De jure independence for the Republic of the 7 Dizains.
1798 – 1802 Helvetic Republic (Napoleon…)
1802 – 1810 Valais independence
1810 – 1813 Simplon department (in the French Empire)
1815 Les 7 Dizains -> 13 (+ Hérens, Conthey, Martigny, Entremont, St Maurice, Monthey)
1815 Valais becomes the 20th Canton on August 4, 1815
1846 – 1847 Sonderbund
1848 The Dizains are renamed Districts.
The Districts of Valais are headed by a Prefect, who chairs the Conférence des Présidents (de Commune). This is a consultative body responsible for coordinating regional and inter-communal issues. The District of Sierre comprises 10 Communes, mainly on either side of Sierre, with Anniviers on one side and Crans-Montana on the other.
Each Dizain included a Dizainale Assembly. This was made up of locally elected representatives, influential citizens and heads of family, headed by a Châtelain (a territorial feudal agent appointed by a prince), a Banneret (the person entitled to “raise banners”, i.e. to form a company for battle – the ban = contingent of soldiers; the arrière-ban = the Reserve), and a Dizain Captain.
The Dizainal Assemblies were responsible for local affairs (roads, bridges, churches), community life (land distribution, irrigation, mountain pasture management) and maintaining public order.
They exercised 4 powers: local legislative power (agriculture, pastoralism, trade). Executive power (enforcement of local laws, tax collection). Local judicial power, and power of representation at the Diet (today the Grand Council of Valais, which is its Parliament comprising 130 deputies, elected for 4 years).
So, 185 years of history (1613-1798), extended by 210 years (1815-2025) of operation, form the “missing link” between Communes and Canton, and today carry the personality of each “lateral region” that crosses the course of the Rhône and its valley.
VALPIC culture
February 2025
To find out more about the history of Valais, take a look at this document on “Valais’ independence from the Holy Roman Empire”:
Consult :
https://lex.vs.ch/app/fr/texts_of_law/172.16 (Valais law on the powers of Prefects)