Liddes

The (so-called) Hannibal’s Wall (2650 m)

Archaeological remains in the Entremont Valley – Liddes and its history

Have you ever heard of the (so-called) Hannibal’s Wall ?
The (so-called) Hannibal’s Wall is a Roman fortress located at an altitude of 2650 m on the eastern slopes of the Entremont Valley. It is estimated to have been built in the early Roman era, around 29 BC. More than two hundred soldiers in the service of Rome, most likely Celtic or even Germanic auxiliaries, occupied this position for at least one summer. They took advantage of its favourable topographical situation on a crossing point with a view overlooking Bourg-St-Pierre.The name “Hannibal” (Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps in 218 BC) is linked to the legend of his passage over the Great St Bernard Pass. However, we now know that he did not cross the Alps in this region!A leaflet is available from regional tourist offices. It can also be downloaded from www.ramha.ch (fr, de, en, it). At the archaeological site, QR codes on stone markers provide access to additional multimedia content. Other information panels can be found at the Cœur and Boveired’en Bas alpine pasture huts in Bourg-St-Pierre, and at the Cabane de Mille.

Access
Intermediate level hikes (T2/T3) July – September.
See here for the itinerary.

Welcome to Liddes! Village of Peca-Fâves 
A small village of just under a thousand inhabitants today, Liddes (1348 m) lies on the important route to the Great St Bernard Pass (2469 m altitude). The municipality of Liddes occupies the central part of the Entremont valley and stretches along both sides of the river, which is called Dranse d’Entremont. Its inhabitants still bear the nickname of Peca-Fâves, “broad bean-eaters,” a reminder of a time when the pantry was less well-stocked than it is today. 

Human presence since prehistoric times
Around Liddes, the oldest known remains date back to the Neolithic period (5500-2200 BC). They were discovered on the Roc de Cornet (1466 m). During this period, the valley was already used as a passageway, undoubtedly facilitating contact between the populations of Valais and the Aosta Valley, as confirmed by very similar-looking necropolises (“burial grounds”) unearthed on either side of the Alps in Sion and in Saint-Martin de Corléans. 

Besides the Neolithic finds, the Liddes region appears to have been permanently inhabited at least since the Bronze Age (2200-800 BC). Between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century AD, several graves, now destroyed, were discovered in the area known as “Près du Village” (near the village, exact location unknown). Axes, a dagger (see fig. 1), and two copper-alloy diadems were found there. 

Numerous coins from the Late Iron Age (450-35 BC) and the Roman period (35 BC – 450 AD) have also been discovered between Orsières and the Great St Bernard Pass. Left as thank offerings to a divinity, placed in graves, or simply lost, they attest to the presence and continuous passage of people and goods through the valley.

Controlling a passage
Who controlled the Great St Bernard Pass towards the end of the Iron Age? According to ancient sources, two populations occupied the slopes:

• The Veragri lived on the north side of the Alps (present-day Valais), in the Dranse’s valleys and on the plains, around the bend in the Rhône (towards Martigny) as far as the Chamoson cone to the east and the St-Maurice gorge to the north.
• The Salassi lived south of the pass, in what is now the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley. They controlled the Little St Bernard Pass. However, their territory started decreasing as early as around 100 BC, when they lost their possessions south of the Bard Fort (in modern-day Italy) to the Romans.

It is not known whether the Veragri or the Salassi held the summit of the Great St Bernard Pass, but it was, above all, the control of its access routes that must have been a lucrative business, through tolls imposed on those who crossed it, particularly Roman merchants and soldiers.

The (so-called) Hannibal’s Wall
It was probably in the context of controlling the Great St Bernard route, and its side passes that a detachment of the Roman army set up an observation point and defence barrier above Liddes at an altitude of almost 2,650 m. What did this camp look like over 2,000 years ago? How did the archaeologists get involved?

Find out as you continue on your way! Enjoy the climb!

Fig. 0 Evidence of human occupation in the Upper Val d’EntremontTimeline

EASY LANGUAGE
This panel presents an archaeological site.
An archaeological site is a historic place with traces of the past.
These are the traces of men and women from long ago.
This archaeological site is called Hannibal’s Wall.
This wall served as a mountain fortress.
It dates back to Roman times.
From this information panel, you will need to walk at least 4 hours to see the stone wall.
Near the wall are the stone remains of old huts and a very old inscription.
The inscription is more than 2000 years old.
Conception and design © RAMHA, Romain Andenmatten, UNIL, Michel Aberson, ArchaeoConcept Sàrl, Leana Catalfamo 

Graphics © Chab Lathion 
English translation and review: Cynthia Dunning, Emma Bonvoisin
Easy to read proofreading in English © will come soon