Saint-Maurice, Switzerland
Saint-Maurice | |
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View of Saint-Maurice with the Dent du Salantin (left) and the Dents du Midi in the background | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Saint-Maurice | |
Saint-Maurice Saint-Maurice | |
| Coordinates: 46°13′N 7°0′E / 46.217°N 7.000°E | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Valais |
| District | Saint-Maurice |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.0 km2 (2.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 414 m (1,358 ft) |
| Population (December 2002) | |
• Total | 3,676 |
| • Density | 530/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 1890 |
| SFOS number | 6217 |
| ISO 3166 code | CH-VS |
| Surrounded by | Bex (VD), Collonges, Evionnaz, Lavey-Morcles (VD), Massongex, Mex, Vérossaz |
| Website | www.saint-maurice.ch |
Saint-Maurice (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ mɔʁis] ⓘ) is a city in the Swiss canton of Valais and the capital of the district of Saint-Maurice. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Mex merged into the municipality of Saint-Maurice.
Saint-Maurice is the site of the Ancient Roman outpost of Agaunum and the 6th-century Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune. The city is located at the entrance of a pass leading to the upper part of the Rhône valley. As such, it has a strategic importance, and defence work were built from the 15th century to control this access. The Fortress Saint-Maurice was constructed in the surrounding mountainsides from 1880 through 1995.