Post 12. House of the Father Erasme Zufferey

This house was built in 1768 by the Vicar Savioz, who was probably the great-grand uncle of Father Erasme Zufferey (1883-1931). A doctor of theology, and a lover of local history, Erasme Zufferey became the historian of the Val d’Anniviers. Here he finished writing his work: “Le Passé du Val d’Anniviers“ in three large volumes.

A man of great culture and tenacity was needed to go through all the records and to translate documents from Latin into French, kept in the Chapel of the Castle of Vissoie as well as other documents belonging to private persons or the Bourgeoisies of Anniviers. This enormous task was accomplished thanks to his persistence, often at the limit of human endurance. He completed his work, written in school notebooks, around 1930 in the attic of the house, without heating.

On November 23, 1931, the Abbot Erasme Zufferey died on the road leading from the Turtmanntal to the Val d’Anniviers, by the Meiden pass. He was returning from Ergisch where he had replaced the parish priest. Having broken his leg in a fall, he froze to death. A few days later, his body was found under a thin layer of snow. His grave is in the main cemetery in Vissoie, near the large retaining wall to the east.

The part of this house in masonry is older. On the west side, one can admire beautiful old drawings. Dates figure in these drawings : 1514, 1580 and 1592. The drawings show blacksmith tools for shoeing mules and objects that would have been made by the craftsman himself. To their left, there are remains of the round frame of a doorway from the sixteenth century, that may have given access to a forge. The drawings were restored in 1980 by Nicolas Martin Venthône. The work was funded by the former commune of Vissoie and the “ Etat du Valais “.

> Next post
Continue along the path and take the road down to your left. Continue for about 20 meters.