Simplon (department)
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Simplon was the name of a département of the First French Empire. It is named after the Simplon Pass. It was formed in 1810, when the Rhodanic republic was occupied by the French. Its territory corresponds with the present Swiss canton of Valais. The capital of Simplon département was Sion. The département was subdivided into the following arrondissements and cantons:
- Sion, cantons: Hérémence, Leuk, Sierre and Sion.
- Brig, cantons: Brig, Goms, Mörel, Raron and Visp.
- Saint-Maurice, cantons: Entremont, Martigny, Monthey and Saint-Maurice.
After the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, the département became the Swiss canton Valais.
