Massongex

Massongex , located at the Confluent of the the Rhone and the Avençon, is a commune of the Canton of Were worth, in the District of Saint-Maurice. It counts today a little more than 1.500 inhabitants.

History

Massongex seems to have been, under the name of Tarnaiae , the principal locality of the tribe Celte of the Nantuates and the religious center of the four Valaisan tribes (in addition to Nantuates, the Véragres, the Sédunes and the Ubères) of the time of Independence. Taranis, divinity Celtic who was apparently venerated there, probably gave him its ancient name. It seems to have been an important point of Batellerie and breaking bulk: indeed, to two kilometers upstream, the Cluse of Saint-Maurice returns navigation on the the impossible Rhone. It is probably in Tarnaiae that the boats and the barges were charged and discharged.

Under the Roman domination, Tarnaiae remained an important locality as testify some the Roman Thermes built at the beginning of our era, towards 10/15? , that is to say before the foundation of Forum Claudii Vallensium, future chief town of the Civitas Vallensium . A mosaic of 1m47 on 1m48 representing two pugilists, the years 30 was found in what one can identify like the Apodyterium ( cloakroom ).

Of installations of the river seems to be undertaken there at the beginning of the 2nd century and of the remainders of what seems to have been a bridge were discovered there.

It périclita, like all the localities of the Chablais, located downstream from the Cluse of Saint-Maurice easier to defend, shortly after invasions of the Alamans towards 260-275. Alamans seem to be stopped at the time of engagements to the cluse of Saint-Maurice.

Random links: