En un regard
Le château en bref
Considered the oldest building in Sierre, in the canton of Valais, the Château de Villa is a former patrician residence built in the 16th century by the de Platea family, who came from the Sierre bourgeoisie. It passed by inheritance to the de Preux family, who made it their main residence in the 17th century. The east wing and the octagonal tower date from the 16th century, while the west wing and the entrance gateway date from the 17th century. Bought back and restored in 1939 by Mme Panchaud de Bottens, the château was taken over in the late 1940s by a group of Sierrois, and the Fondation du Château de Villa was created in 1951 with the aim of making it a cantonal treasure. Today it houses a restaurant serving Valais specialities, including raclette, and a wine bar (œnothèque) offering around 850 wines from about a hundred Valais winegrowers. The foundation also runs cultural activities and promotes viticultural heritage; in 2024 the site launched a digital visitor trail using QR codes, tracing more than half a millennium of history.
