| Sion | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Latin name: Sedunum a town in SW Switzerland, capital of Valais canton, on the River Rhône. Pop: 27 171 (2000) |
| 2. | a variant of Zion |
elevated. (1.) Denotes Mount Hermon in Deut. 4:48; called Sirion by the Sidonians, and by the Amorites Shenir (Deut. 3:9). (See HERMON.) (2.) The Greek form of Zion (q.v.) in Matt. 21:5; John 12:15.
Sion
capital of Valais canton, southwestern Switzerland. It lies along the Rhone River, at the mouth of La Sionne River, southeast of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). It originated as a Celtic and Roman settlement called Sedunum. Sion became the seat of a bishop in the late 6th century, and from 999 the bishops of Sion held the spiritual and temporal power in Valais, which they retained, at least in part, until 1798. The two hillocks that dominate the town are crowned by the remains of the 13th-century Chateau de Tourbillon and those of the Chateau de Valere (Valeria), now containing a historical museum and a mainly 13th-century church. Other notable buildings are the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Glarier, the Church of Saint-Theodule (1516), the Maison Supersaxo (1505), the town hall (1660), and the remains of the Chateau de la Majorie, now housing an art gallery. The town is on the road and rail routes from Lausanne to Milan via the Simplon Pass. It is an important market for vegetables, fruit, and wine. The population is predominantly French speaking. Pop. (2007 est.) 28,633.
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