Martigny - History

History

Martigny's history reaches back two thousand years: Celtic tribes, the Romans, and Napoleon's troops have left behind traces. A restored Roman amphitheatre, temples, citizen living quarters, and thermal baths can be seen in Martigny today. Martigny became the first bishop's seat in Switzerland. Today it is admired for its historical districts of La Bâtiaz and Vieux-Bourg which feature churches and secular buildings worth seeing.

In the 1st century BC, 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 BC), 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 used to travel at great risk as well as paying great tolls. (B. G. iii. 1.) The local people of the Alps had allowed these Roman merchants, from what is now Italy, to pass, because if they extracted too much or mistreated them they would no longer come. But the locals got as much from this merchant trade as they could. Galba, after capturing many local strongholds and receiving the submission of the people, sent troops into the country of the Nantuates, and with the his remaining army determined to winter in Octoduru. Octoduru, which town being situated in a valley not having extensive level ground near it, is 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 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 perished. 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.

Martigny is first mentioned in 1018 as Martiniacum.

Martigny is in the region known as the Chablais which in modern times incorporates a portion of Switzerland Vaud east of the Rhone, Switzerland Valais west of the Rhone, and France in the former Savoy. In 1845-47 there was an attempt by a group of primarily Catholic Swiss cantons to secede from Switzerland and form a Catholic confederation called the Sonderbund. The Valais was to be part of the Sonderbund. General Henri Dufour with 97,000 Federal troops in 1847 prevented secession in a relatively bloodless confrontation against a slightly smaller rebel army in what is known as the Sonderbund war. The Valais decided to not fight.