Aigle

Origin of the name Aigle

The place is mentioned around 1150-1154 in the form "Alium" and in 1153 as "de Aleo"; the old German name is "Aelen". Despite its resemblance to the French word for eagle (aigle), the name has nothing to do with the bird: it is thought to come from a Germanic personal name (Agil, Aigel or Eigel), adopted by the Romance-speaking population from the 5th century, which would place its formation in the 6th-7th centuries (to be cross-checked).

Founding of Aigle

The site has been occupied since the Bronze Age, then in Roman times (villa) and in the early Middle Ages (burials). The settlement grew around three cores: a 12th-century priory dependent on Saint-Maurice, a chapel of Saint-Pierre and the parish church of Saint-Jacques. In 1231 Count Thomas I of Savoy raised the church district to the status of a bourg, and a charter of 1314 granted it liberties modelled on those of Villeneuve. Two castles were built at that time, one by the d'Aigle family and the other by the de Saillon family after 1231.

History of Aigle

Bronze Age. Bronze Age pottery.

Roman period. Remains of a Roman villa.

early Middle Ages. Burials.

11th-12th century. The d'Aigle family builds a first castle.

around 1150-1154. First mention, in the form "Alium".

12th century. A priory dependent on Saint-Maurice is attested.

1231. Count Thomas I of Savoy raises the church district to a bourg; the de Saillon family then builds a second castle.

1314. A charter grants the bourg liberties modelled on those of Villeneuve.

1475. Bern conquers Aigle, which becomes the seat of a Bernese government.

from 1489. Bern rebuilds the castle as its governor's residence.

1526. Guillaume Farel settles in Aigle as schoolmaster.

1528. Reformed worship prevails after a period of resistance.

1554. Salt deposits are discovered, feeding a network of pipes.

1764. The bourg has 1'431 inhabitants, 180 of them German-speaking.

1850. The commune has 2'296 inhabitants.

1901. Opening of the Aigle-Leysin railway.

1907. Opening of the Aigle-Ollon-Monthey line.

1976. The Museum of Vine and Wine opens in the castle.

2000. The commune has 7'955 inhabitants.

Population of Aigle

Population of Aigle

1764	1'431
1850	2'296
1900	3'897
1950	4'271
1960	4'381
2000	7'955
2025	12'081

Historic sites in Aigle

Aigle Castle. Built in the 13th century by the de Saillon family after 1231 and rebuilt by Bern from 1489 as its governor's residence, it stands among the vineyards and has housed the Vaud Museum of Vine and Wine since 1976, restored in 2010.

Church of Saint-Jacques and the bourg. The parish church of Saint-Jacques stands at the heart of the bourg created in 1231, which received its liberties in 1314.

World Cycling Centre. Aigle is home to the headquarters of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and its World Cycling Centre, with a velodrome.

Chablais vineyards. The castle and the bourg are surrounded by vineyards, an old activity on which the region built its reputation.

Remains in Aigle

First castle of the d'Aigle family. A first castle was built in the 11th-12th centuries by the d'Aigle family and rebuilt by Savoy in the 14th century.

Roman villa. Remains of a Roman villa show that the site was occupied in Antiquity.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Aigle (commune) »
• Wikipédia FR, « Aigle (Vaud) »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Other villages near Aigle

• Yvorne (VD)
• Saint-Triphon (VD)
• Ollon (VD)
• Panex (VD)
• Corbeyrier (VD)