Collecting in the heart of the Alps

Of the three cantonal museums in the Valais, the History Museum is the one with the most pronounced encyclopaedic vocation, followed by the Art Museum (art from the late 18^th century to the present) and the Nature Museum (man in his environment). The permanent exhibition of the History Museum is housed in the former residences of the Cathedral Chapter canons at the Castle of Valeria, an emblematic monument which - in tandem with the Castle of Tourbillon - dominates the city of Sion.

This book presents a selection of one hundred representative objects, most of which are on display. It gives an idea of the historical riches entrusted to the History Museum, whose collections (some 50,000 objects, not counting the archaeological pieces) cover the complete history of human activity in the Valais from its first traces (ca. - 50,000) to the present.

This is the second publication in the series « Collectionner au coeur des Alpes », which was inaugurated in 2007 with a volume devoted to the Art Museum.