Simplon Hospice

In a decree of 21 February 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the building of a hospice on top of the Simplon Pass. The Simplon Hospice is a large building where travellers and merchants can get food, accommodation and shelter from the harsh climate. The hospice has always been run by the Canons of Saint Augustine.

Simplon Hospice in winter time

The Simplon Hospice is located 1998m/6555ft above sea level at the mountain saddle of the Simplon Pass[1]. The Simplon Pass is a route across the Swiss Alps connecting Switzerland and Italy. Once the route was the shortest route from Paris to Rome.

Stockalpers Old Hospice

At first the Simplon Pass was a mule track for intensive exchange of goods between Italy and Switzerland. At that time the Pass was controlled by Kaspar Stockalper who in 1650 built the Old Hospice located 1.6 km southwest of the todays Hospice.

History
Priors
Period Prior
1802 (Juli/Aug)Gabriel d’Allèves
1802–1807Laurent-Hippolyte Ballet
1807–1821Gabriel d’Allèves
1821–1835Etienne-Sébastien Pellaux
1835Jean-Baptiste Darbellay
1836–1858Pierre-Joseph Barras
1858–1861Pierre-Joseph Deléglise
1862–1875Basile Frossard
1876–1877Camille Rosset
1877–1892Angelin Carron
1898–1910Maurice Borter
1910–1930André Favre
1930–1934Candide Borgeat
1934–1940Etienne Coquoz
1940–1943Clément Moulin
1943–1946Fabien Melly
1946–1950Antoine Mudry
1950–1952Lucien Quaglia
1952–1959René Giroud
1959–1966Gratien Volluz
1966–1968Paul Bruchez
1968–1971Jean Emonet
1971–1974Jean-Claude Ducrey
1974–1983Benoît Vouilloz
1983–1995Klaus Sarbach
1995–2007Michel Praplan
2007–2009Jean-Pierre Voutaz
2009–2012Daniel Salzgeber
2012–2015Jean-Pascal Genoud
2015–todayFrançois Lamon

The Napoleon-Road over the Simplon Pass and through the Gorge of Gondo[2] was opened in 1806. Work on the Simplon Hospice stopped with Napoleon's fall in 1812. Fourteen years later the Canons of Saint Augustine resumed the activity and finished the construction in 1831.

As a monastery, the Simplon Hospice includes a small church. In 1906 the Simplon Railway Tunnel was inaugurated and therefore the traffic flow over the Simplon Pass was reduced. In 1995 the Simplon Hospice was restored.

Present

Today the Simplon Hospice is run by four Canons under the leadership of Prior François Lamon. The Hospice may accommodate up to 100 guests. A church service is celebrated on a daily base. The building is a meeting point for travellers and a gathering place for mountain hikers in summer and winter time.

Pictures
  • Simplon Hospice 1914–1918
    Simplon Hospice 1914–1918
  • First snow
    First snow
  • Church Service inside Simplon Hospice
    Church Service inside Simplon Hospice
  1. See: Map of Swisstopo
  2. Gondo Gorge
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