Saint-Maurice d'Agaune : de l'aire funéraire romaine au lieu du culte chrétien

The existence of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice in Valais (Switzerland) is due to the veneration of the martyrs of the Theban Legion. Emperor Maximian decimated those soldiers at the end of the 3rdcent. near the antique Acaunus, a tollbooth on the road over the pass of the « Grand St-Bernard ». Bishop Theodor found the bones of the soldiers and their commander Maurice in the late 4th century. By building a basilica near the place of the martyrdom Theodor put on the base for a devotion that spread all over the occidental world. On the perimeter of the Abbey 3 distinct sanctuaries are attested during the 1st millennium: the martyrial church under the « Martolet » yard, a 2ndlarge church situated in the same direction under the « Parvis » yard and a baptistery at south between the 2 churches. This article deals with the origins of the 1stchurch called « du Martolet », in particular about the passage from the roman tomb-area to a place of Christian faith. For the festivities of the 1500thanniversary of the monast...