The Valère organ

General view of the organ from the nave of the church. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

Edmond Voeffray, organist of Sion cathedral. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

An unusual view, invisible to visitors: the bellows of the organ. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

The impressive pipes. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

The keyboard of the organ with the music of the 'Organum Anticuum', one of the pieces played by Edmond Voeffray. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

Detail of the keys and the levers used to change the sonority of the instrument. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

Detail of the decoration and pipes on the left hand side. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

General view of the organ and its decoration from the high altar. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

Detail of the decoration and pipes on the right. Rodrigo Carrizo Couto/swissinfo.ch

At over 550 years old, it is the oldest working organ in the world

This content was published on November 16, 2009 - 15:40

The Gothic organ in Valère, built in about 1430, was restored in 1954 and is now the star of the ancient organ festival in Sion.

Photos: Rodrigo Carrizo Couto

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