Lumnezia

Lumnezia is a valley region and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss of canton of the Grisons. The former municipalities of Cumbel, Degen, Lumbrein, Morissen, Suraua, Vignogn, Vella, and Vrin merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Lumnezia. It covers the Val Lumnezia (German: Lugnez), a Swiss high alpine valley. Its upper regions are among the most remote areas in the Swiss Alps. The official language is Romansh.

In 1998, the village of Vrin was awarded the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage.

In the Neolithic times the valley was probably inhabited by Chalcolithic (Copper Age) Europeans. Witness to this is the Crap da Treis Siarps, the "Three Snakes Stone", a remnant of a Neolithic or Bronze Age Megalithic monument. It can be found at the slope of the Glogn gorge east of the Parish church of Pleif. Although the other megaliths of this monument have substantially weathered, the "Three Snakes Stone" is well preserved. It has three snakes and a half moon engraved, hinting at its use as either a burial site or as an archaeoastronomical site.

During Roman times Lumnezia was probably inhabited by a Celtic tribe known as the Helvetii. It was a part of the Roman Province of Rhaetia. However, as there were hardly any natural resources in the valley and the alpine crossing into the Ticino would have been difficult, there are no significant archaeological finds of this period.

Chronicles of the early Middle Ages mention the Lumnezia because of its fertile soils and advantageous climate. In several sheltered parishes, such as Peiden peaches and grapes were grown. In the 6th century AD the parish church at Pleif near Vella was built. At about this time the valley became a domain of Bishopric Chur, with its inhabitants living in serfdom to the bishops at Chur. At around 1,200 AD the Valser Valley, a side valley of the Val Lumnezia, was settled by an Alemannic tribe known as the Walsers. With the foundation of the Grey League in the 14th century, the valley emancipated itself politically.

1538 AD the citizens of the Val Lumnezia bought themselves off the feudal ownership. The parishes of the valley became autonomous and the feudal domains became partially private property. Within the Grey League legislatives and juridical councils emerged in the form of confederations comprising several parish councils — one of which became the municipality Lumnezia. This had, in particular, economical advantages, as the valley was then autonomous, being able to supply itself with food and goods. Across the Greina high plain, the cattle trade was done with cities as far afield as Milan in Italy. As a bastion against the emerging Protestantism which has spread across Northern and Western Switzerland, the Holy See established 1621 AD a Rhaetian Capuchin congregation to spread the Counter-Reformation across the Val Lumnezia. This had the effect, that still today, the valley is conservative Roman Catholic, with sacred buildings, such as baroque churches dominating the landscape.

The construction of the road to Ilanz for stagecoaches in 1890 connected the Lumnezia to the infrastructure of the Vorderrhein valley and the Swiss railway network.

Cumbel is first mentioned about 825 as Cumble. Until 1983, the municipality was officially known as Cumbels.