Saint-Maurice, Switzerland

Saint-Maurice
View of Saint-Maurice with the Dent du Salantin (left) and the Dents du Midi in the background
Location of Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice
Coordinates: 46°13′N 7°0′E / 46.217°N 7.000°E / 46.217; 7.000
CountrySwitzerland
CantonValais
DistrictSaint-Maurice
Area
  Total
7.18 km2 (2.77 sq mi)
Elevation
414 m (1,358 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)
  Total
4,571
  Density640/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
1890
SFOS number6217
ISO 3166 codeCH-VS
Surrounded byBex (VD), Collonges, Evionnaz, Lavey-Morcles (VD), Massongex, Mex, Vérossaz
Websitewww.saint-maurice.ch
SFSO statistics

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.