(1390?) 1410-1435 Organ, Valère, Switzerland

Located in Our Lady Basilica, Valère, Sion, Switzerland. The current disposition is one manual and short pedalboard (one octave) with a total of 8 stops.

The building of the Basilica/Castle of Valère, began during the 12th century. The organ was built by an unknown organ builder most probably in the year 1434 as it is suggested by the date of the painting of the folding doors (1434-37) by the Freiburg painter Peter Maggenberg; however, no evidence exists that the case was painted at the same time or immediately after the organ was built. A signature “Christoph Aeby 1687” on the right side of the wind supply marks the intervention of the Solothurn organ builder Christopher Aebi in a rebuilding of the organ. Recent research made by the Dendrochronology Laboratory of Western Switzerland with Carbon-14 analysis allowed to date several parts as of before what was previously presumed. It was possible to date the veneering of the D-key between 1297-1403; while the Copel 4′ wooden stop between 1293-1400. It is the oldest playable organ in the world, a perfect exponent of the Gothic Organ. After successive repairs and transformations along the centuries it was finally restored by the Swiss firm Kuhn in 1954, still keeping part of the original pipework. Three of the originals stops have been preserved, namely, Superoctave 2′, Quint minor 1 _^2/3′ and Mixture 1′. In 2004, intensive restoration was undertaken by Flügister Manufactory in Valais, Switzerland. In 2019 it was tempered back to the meantone tunning.

Contextual historical chronology

The organ was built during Dunstable (1390-1453), Dufay (1397/1400-1474) and Binchois (1400-1460) life time.

1377: Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) Decease on April 13th.

1378: End of The Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Beginning of The Great Schism of the West.

1410: Faenza Codex.

1417: End of The Great Western Schism.

1432: Jan van Eyck (1390-1441) Gent Altar.

1440: Martin Le Franc (1410-1461) Le Champion de Dames.

1452: Conrad Paumann (1410-1473) Lochamer Liederbuch, Fundamentum Organisandi..

1453: End of The Hundred Years’ War. John Dunstable (1390-1453) Decease on December 24th.

1460: Giles Binchois (1400-1460) Decease on September 20th.

1474: Guillaume Dufay (1397/1400-1474) Decease on November 27th.