Brig is first mentioned in 1215 as Briga.
The first evidence of human habitation near Brig comes from a few Bronze Age objects, a bracelet and a dagger.
The area remained inhabited through the Latène era with scattered Walser settlements.
During the Roman era the Roman influence was strongest along the Roman road on the valley floor.
The area remained settled during the Iron Age, Migration Period and Early Middle Ages.

The de Briga family is first mentioned in 1215.
The family was probably a branch of the Mangoldi line which was first mentioned in 1181 and is probably identical to the de Curia (im Hof) family which appeared between 1308-35.
The family seat was the Höllenburg, which was a tower above Brig.
By the 17th Century the tower had been demolished.
It is likely that the city was founded by the Bishop of Sion, when they built a tower and curtain wall in the 12th century.
The original tower was replaced with a new tower in the 13th Century, which was demolished in 1970.

In the 14th Century, Brig was first mentioned as a town.
It grew in importance and in 1518 became the capital of the Zenden (a term for a district in Valais) of Brig.
Together with the capital, it became the seat of the district court.
The town hall is first mentioned in 1618.
The city wall also served as a flood wall to help protect the town from the Saltina, which often flooded.
The nearby Rhône caused floods in 1469, 1506, 1640, 1752, 1775, 1868 and 1920.
In 1755 and again in 1855 an earthquake damaged the city.
The plague decimated the population in 1465, 1475, 1485 and 1575.
In 1799 French troops pillaged the city, burned the archives and inflicted great damage.

Starting in the middle of the 13th Century, it was a storage, transshipment and customs station for transportation over the Simplon Pass.
By the early modern era a number of families were wealthy from trade and built palatial homes and public buildings in the city.
The Renaissance tower of the Provincial Governor Kaspar Metz Elten was built in 1526.
Then, in 1658-78, Kaspar Stockalper built the Stockalper Palace with three towers, and arcaded courtyard and a park.
The early modern city also featured the old Stockalper house (ca.
1533), the Salzhof (16th century, demolished 1967) which served as a transshipment and storage point, the patrician houses of Wegener (17th century), Mannhaft (1709) and Fernanda de Stockalper (1727).
Outside the city, in 1677, Kaspar Stockalper built the Matteni manor house for Georg Christoph Mannhaft.

Brig originally belonged to the large parish of Naters until 1642 when it became part of the parish of Glis.
Brig became its own parish in 1957 and built a parish church in 1967-70.
In 1624-27, the Jesuits established a branch in the town.
Between 1662-1773 and again in 1814-47, they ran a college in the town.
The college was built in 1663-73 followed by the college church in 1673-87.
Between 1773-1814 the college was administrated by the Piarists.
Since 1848 it was operated by the Canton of Valais, and until 1990 the rector was a lay priest.
The first Capuchin monastery was built in 1650-60, but the existing monastery is from 1947-48.
An Ursuline convent was founded in 1661 with a girls' school and the Ursuline Church dates from 1732.
Since 1937 it has been the mission house (and sometimes a seminary) the Mariannhill Missionaries.
The Anthony hospital was established in 1304.
The gothic hospital church was built in the 14th century and the first hospital religious order was founded in 1399.
It was later passed to the community, and served the town until 1908.
The citizenry built the Sebastian Chapel in 1636-37 and restored it in 1972-73.
In 1951, Karl Schmid built the Wehrmann chapel.

The construction of the new road over the Simplon Pass in 1801-05, the expansion of the old road between 1949–60 and the construction of a national highway starting in 1960, have allowed increasing traffic through Brig.
In 1890-1905 stagecoaches transported 152,816 persons to Domodossola over the pass.
In 1906 the first car drove over the Simplon.
Since 1919, postal buses have run
Brig is first mentioned in 1215 as Briga. The first evidence of human habitation near Brig comes from a few Bronze Age objects, a bracelet and a dagger. The area remained inhabited through the Latène era with scattered Walser settlements. During the Roman era the Roman influence was strongest along the Roman road on the valley floor. The area remained settled during the Iron Age, Migration Period and Early Middle Ages.
The de Briga family is first mentioned in 1215. The family was probably a branch of the Mangoldi line which was first mentioned in 1181 and is probably identical to the de Curia (im Hof) family which appeared between 1308-35. The family seat was the Höllenburg, which was a tower above Brig. By the 17th Century the tower had been demolished. It is likely that the city was founded by the Bishop of Sion, when they built a tower and curtain wall in the 12th century. The original tower was replaced with a new tower in the 13th Century, which was demolished in 1970.
In the 14th Century, Brig was first mentioned as a town. It grew in importance and in 1518 became the capital of the Zenden (a term for a district in Valais) of Brig. Together with the capital, it became the seat of the district court. The town hall is first mentioned in 1618. The city wall also served as a flood wall to help protect the town from the Saltina, which often flooded. The nearby Rhône caused floods in 1469, 1506, 1640, 1752, 1775, 1868 and 1920. In 1755 and again in 1855 an earthquake damaged the city. The plague decimated the population in 1465, 1475, 1485 and 1575. In 1799 French troops pillaged the city, burned the archives and inflicted great damage.
Starting in the middle of the 13th Century, it was a storage, transshipment and customs station for transportation over the Simplon Pass. By the early modern era a number of families were wealthy from trade and built palatial homes and public buildings in the city. The Renaissance tower of the Provincial Governor Kaspar Metz Elten was built in 1526. Then, in 1658-78, Kaspar Stockalper built the Stockalper Palace with three towers, and arcaded courtyard and a park. The early modern city also featured the old Stockalper house (ca. 1533), the Salzhof (16th century, demolished 1967) which served as a transshipment and storage point, the patrician houses of Wegener (17th century), Mannhaft (1709) and Fernanda de Stockalper (1727). Outside the city, in 1677, Kaspar Stockalper built the Matteni manor house for Georg Christoph Mannhaft.
Brig originally belonged to the large parish of Naters until 1642 when it became part of the parish of Glis. Brig became its own parish in 1957 and built a parish church in 1967-70. In 1624-27, the Jesuits established a branch in the town. Between 1662-1773 and again in 1814-47, they ran a college in the town. The college was built in 1663-73 followed by the college church in 1673-87. Between 1773-1814 the college was administrated by the Piarists. Since 1848 it was operated by the Canton of Valais, and until 1990 the rector was a lay priest. The first Capuchin monastery was built in 1650-60, but the existing monastery is from 1947-48. An Ursuline convent was founded in 1661 with a girls' school and the Ursuline Church dates from 1732. Since 1937 it has been the mission house (and sometimes a seminary) the Mariannhill Missionaries. The Anthony hospital was established in 1304. The gothic hospital church was built in the 14th century and the first hospital religious order was founded in 1399. It was later passed to the community, and served the town until 1908. The citizenry built the Sebastian Chapel in 1636-37 and restored it in 1972-73. In 1951, Karl Schmid built the Wehrmann chapel.
The construction of the new road over the Simplon Pass in 1801-05, the expansion of the old road between 1949–60 and the construction of a national highway starting in 1960, have allowed increasing traffic through Brig. In 1890-1905 stagecoaches transported 152,816 persons to Domodossola over the pass. In 1906 the first car drove over the Simplon. Since 1919, postal buses have run 
Brig-Glis