Salvan

Salvan (French pronunciation: [salvɑ̃]) is a municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.

[3] On 5 October 1994, 25 people were found dead in three burned-out chalets in Salvan in what turned out to be a mass murder-suicide.

The chalets were owned by Luc Jouret, founder of the Order of the Solar Temple.

It consists of the village of Salvan and several hamlets, including Les Marécottes and until 1912, Vernayaz, Miéville and Gueuroz.

The territory of the municipality includes a significant portion of the Trient valley (along with the municipality of Finhaut) and two of its important side valleys: the entire Vallon d'Emaney (drained by the Triège) and the upper section of the Vallée de Barberine (drained by the Barberine and the Eau Noire) who is notably occupied by the artificial lake of Émosson.

Although the municipality does not include the highest peak of the Trient Valley, several summits over 3,000 metres lie there.

The highest are Tour Sallière and Mont Ruan, both in the Vallée de Barberine.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules on a pile inverted embowed Argent issuant from Coupeaux Vert a Pine Tree of the same trunked proper in chief dexter a Cross Bottony of the second and in sinister a Mullet of Seven of the same.

[5] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks French (947 or 92.8%) as their first language, German is the second most common (31 or 3.0%) and Dutch is the third (10 or 1.0%).

The entire hamlet of Le Trétien is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

[16] In the 2007 Swiss Council of States election a total of 501 votes were cast, of which 30 or about 6.0% were invalid.

In the tertiary sector; 10 or 6.6% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 7 or 4.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 36 or 23.8% were in a hotel or restaurant, 2 or 1.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 5 or 3.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 7 or 4.6% were in education and 55 or 36.4% were in health care.

[5] From the 2000 census[update], 810 or 79.4% were Roman Catholic, while 90 or 8.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

[20] The narrow-gauge Martigny–Châtelard line passes through the eastern edge of the municipality and has four stations: Salvan, Les Marécottes, La Médettaz, and Le Trétien.

This group includes other villages such as: La Fouly, Champex, Vichères, Bruson and Super St. Bernard (now closed).

Salvan village
Street in Salvan
Les Marécottes