Department of Simplon Département du Simplon (French) | |||||||||
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1810–1813 | |||||||||
![]() Simplon and other annexed departments | |||||||||
Status | Department of the French First Empire | ||||||||
Chef-lieu | Sion 46°11′N 7°41′E / 46.183°N 7.683°E | ||||||||
Official languages | French | ||||||||
Historical era | Napoleonic Wars | ||||||||
• Annexation of the Rhodanic Republic | 13 December 1810 | ||||||||
• Occupied by Austrian forces | 29 December 1813 | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• 1812 | 5,000[1] km2 (1,900 sq mi) | ||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• 1812 census | 65500[1] | ||||||||
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Today part of | Valais, Switzerland |
Simplon (French: [sɛ̃.plɔ̃]) was a department of the First French Empire. It was named after the Simplon Pass (Italian: Passo del Sempione). It was formed in 1810, when the Rhodanic Republic was annexed by France. Its territory corresponded with that of the present-day Swiss canton of Valais.
The chef-lieu of the department was Sion. The department was subdivided into the following three arrondissements and cantons:[1]
- Sion: Hérémence, Loèche, Sierre and Sion.
- Brigue: Brigue, Conches, Mœrel, Rarogne and Viège.
- Saint-Maurice: Entremont, Martigny, Monthey and Saint-Maurice.
After the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, the department was admitted to the Swiss Confederation and became the canton of Valais.
Creation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Ehemalige_Pr%C3%A4fektur_des_D%C3%A9partements_Simplon_%28Maison_de_Kalbermatten%29_2013-09-17_18-45-43.jpg/220px-Ehemalige_Pr%C3%A4fektur_des_D%C3%A9partements_Simplon_%28Maison_de_Kalbermatten%29_2013-09-17_18-45-43.jpg)
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.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/D%C3%A9partment_du_Simplon_1812.jpg/220px-D%C3%A9partment_du_Simplon_1812.jpg)
Administration
Prefects
The prefect (préfet) was the highest state representative in the department. The holder of the office was also subprefect of Sion.
Term start | Term end | Office holder |
---|---|---|
11 January 1811[2] | 13 November 1811 | Claude Joseph Parfait Derville-Maléchard |
13 November 1811[3] | 29 December 1813 | Claude-Philibert Barthelot de Rambuteau |
Secretary-general
The secretary-general was the deputy to the prefect.
Term start | Term end | Office holder |
---|---|---|
11 January 1811 | 29 December 1813 | Joseph Rouiller[4] |
Subprefect of Brigue
Term start | Term end | Office holder |
---|---|---|
8 February 1811 | 29 December 1813 | Léopold de Sepibus[4] |
Subprefect of Saint-Maurice
Term start | Term end | Office holder |
---|---|---|
8 February 1811 | 29 December 1813 | Michel Dufour[4] |
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.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Almanach Impérial an bissextil MDCCCXII, p. 469-470, accessed in Gallica 31 July 2013 (in French)
- ^ Archives Nationales. "DERVILLE-MALÉCHARD, Claude Joseph Parfait". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ Archives Nationales. "BARTHELOT DE RAMBUTEAU, Claude Philibert". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d BIOLLAY, Emile (1965). Des treize cantons du département (1813) aux treize dizains du canton (1815) (in French). p. 16.