The statue of saint Maurice
A work by Cléofée Casanova dating from 1902.
This statue stood above the entrance porch of the Basilica until 1946 when it was left in a warehouse. It was in 1975, after a restoration, that it found its current place.
This statue of Maurice, the patron saint of our town, reminds us of the Christian history of Agaune, which began around the year 300 with the martyrdom of Maurice and his companions of the Theban Legion, at a place called Vérolliez. Coming from Egypt, these Christian soldiers were part of Maximian's army heading towards the Rhine. Refusing the emperor's impious orders, they were massacred and buried on the spot. Around 380, Theodule, the first known bishop of the Valais, transported the remains of the martyrs under the cliff and built the first basilica in their honor.
