Simplon () was a
department of the
First French Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...
. It was named after the
Simplon Pass
The Simplon Pass (french: Col du Simplon; german: Simplonpass; it, Passo del Sempione, Lombard: ''Pass del Sempiün'') () is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canton ...
(). It was formed in 1810, when the
Rhodanic Republic
The Rhodanic Republic, officially the Republic of Valais ( French: ''République du Valais''; German: ''Republik Wallis'') or Vallais, was a sister republic of France that existed between 1802 and 1810 in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, ...
was annexed by France. Its territory corresponded with that of the present-day
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
*Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
*Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
*Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
* Swiss Internation ...
canton of
Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
.
The
chef-lieu
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of the department was
Sion. The department was subdivided into the following three
arrondissement
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements ...
s and
cantons:
[Almanach Impérial an bissextil MDCCCXII]
p. 469-470, accessed in Gallica 31 July 2013
* Sion:
Hérémence,
Loèche,
Sierre and
Sion.
* Brigue:
Brigue,
Conches,
Mœrel,
Rarogne and
Viège.
* Saint-Maurice:
Entremont,
Martigny
Martigny (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants (''Martignerains'' or "Octoduriens ...
,
Monthey and
Saint-Maurice.
After the final defeat of
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
in 1815, the department was admitted to the
Swiss Confederation and became the
canton of Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...
.
Creation
The department was created by Article 2 of the decree of 12 November 1810, reuniting the Valais to the French Empire. This decree is written as follows:
:NAPOLEON, EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH, KING OF ITALY, PROTECTOR OF THE CONFEDERATION OF THE RHINE, MEDIATOR OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION:
:Considering that the Simplon Road, which unites the Empire to our Kingdom of Italy, is useful to more than sixty million men; that it cost our treasures in France and Italy more than eighteen million, an expense which would become useless if commerce could find there no convenience and perfect security;
:That the Valais did not fulfill any of the engagements it had contracted when we had the work begun to open this great communication;
:Wanting moreover to put an end to the anarchy which afflicts this country, and to cut short the abusive pretensions of sovereignty of a part of the population on the other,
:We have decreed and ordered, decree and order the following:
:FIRST ARTICLE. - The Valais is reunited to the Empire.
:ART. 2. - This territory will form a department under the name of Department of Simplon.
:ART. 3. - This department will be part of the seventh military division.
:ART. 4. - It will be taken possession, without delay, on our behalf, and a general commissioner will be in charge of administering it throughout the rest of this year.
:ART. 5. - All our ministers will be charged with the execution of this decree.
:Signed: Napoleon
:By the Emperor: The Minister Secretary of State,
:Signed: Hugues-Bernard Maret, Duke of Bassano
This decree was confirmed by the organic senatus-consulte of 13 December 1810. This senatus-consulte is written as follows:
:FIRST ARTICLE. - The Valais is reunited to the territory of the French Empire.
:ART. 2. - It will form a department under the name of Department of Simplon.
:ART. 3. - The department of Simplon will have a deputy in the Legislative Body. - This deputy will be appointed in 1811: he will be renewed in the year of the fourth series, to which the Department of Simplon will belong.
:ART. 4. - The Department of Simplon will be the jurisdiction of the imperial court of Lyon.
Administration
Prefects
The
prefect
Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area.
A prefect's ...
(''préfet'') was the highest state representative in the department. The holder of the office was also subprefect of Sion.
Secretary-general
The secretary-general was the deputy to the prefect.
Subprefect of Brigue
Subprefect of Saint-Maurice
Other officials
The Simplon was represented in the Empire's ''
Corps Legislatif'' by
Charles Emmanuel de Rivaz, a cousin of
Isaac de Rivaz. The commander of the troops stationed in the department was
Étienne Félix d'Henin de Cuvillers
Étienne Félix d'Henin de Cuvillers (1755–1841) was a French magnetizer and an early practitioner of mesmerism as a scientific discipline. He's best known for coining the term hypnotism.
Hénin de Cuvillers was a follower of Franz Anton Mesmer ...
.
[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simplon (Department)
Former departments of France in Switzerland
History of Valais
States and territories established in 1810
1810 establishments in the First French Empire