The Village of Salvan, Marconi and the Titanic

8 February 2024

As is well known, Switzerland does not border the sea, although 20 million years ago, the country was by and in the sea. Yet the small mountain village of Salvan (canton of Valais) has its maritime history.

The Titanic, the largest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time, collided with an iceberg on April 14, 1912, during her journey from Southampton to New York. Alexis Bochatay (1881-1912) from Salvan was also on board as a cook. He did not survive.

Another event occurred 17 years earlier in Salvan and was significant for the Titanic. It did not help Alexis Bochatay, but SOS signals saved countless people. The Titanic also sent this signal, and about 700 people could still be rescued.

This tragedy highlighted the humanitarian role of telegraphy. Thanks to the invention of Italian Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), the Titanic could send a SOS (Save Our Souls) message.

On the colossal boulder Pierre Bergère, Marconi sent the first telegraphic messages in the summer of 1895. After many attempts, he succeeded, first 5, then 100 and then over hundreds of metres. Telegraphy was born in Salvan!

The Marconi Trail (Sentier Marconi) and the Marconi Museum (musée Marconi) in Salvan show the Nobel laureate’s experiments.

(Source and further information: Commune of Salvan)

The house (on the right), where Marconi lived in the summer of 1895.