Tourbillon Castle

Tourbillon Castle
Château de Tourbillon
Sion
Tourbillon Castle
Tourbillon Castle Show map of Canton of Valais Tourbillon Castle Show map of Switzerland
Coordinates	46°14′11″N 7°22′1″E / 46.23639°N 7.36694°E / 46.23639; 7.36694
Type	Castle Ruins
Site information
Owner	Tourbillon Castle foundation
Open to the public	Yes
Site history
Built	1297–1308
Built by	Boniface de Challant
Battles/wars	Raron affair (1417)
Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance
Official name	Tourbillon, ruines du château - Moyen Age
Reference no.	7044

Tourbillon Castle (French: Château de Tourbillon) is a castle in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the Basilique de Valère, located on the opposite hill.

It was built at the end of the 13th century under the direction of Bishop Boniface de Challant. Of a defensive nature and perched on the top of a steep, rocky hill, it served as the residence of the bishops of Sion. The Tourbillon Castle was badly damaged by the conflicts between the bishops and the people of Valais. It was burnt down in 1417 during the Raron affair, a war between the people of Sion and the Raron family. It was rebuilt by Bishop William III of Raron some thirty years later. In 1788 it was completely destroyed by another fire. The stones of the castle were used for some time for construction in the region before the ruins were reinforced in the 19th century to make it a historical monument. The castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The castle is protected by nature; very steep terrain surrounds the structure. Accessible only from the east or west, it consists of a courtyard protected by surrounding walls. The castle has a keep, its own chapel and a garrison building.