Bavois

Canton of Vaud · District: Jura-Nord vaudois · 1'055 inhabitants (31.12.2025, municipality)

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Bavois

The name appears around 1200 as «Baoies» («Albertus de Baoies»), then in 1225 «Bavoes», in 1269 «Bayoies» and in 1454 «Bayoes»; a mention from 1182, «ecclesia de Baises», is also linked to it (to be cross-checked). The origin and meaning of the name remain unknown: no satisfactory explanation has been established.

Founding of Bavois

None of the sources consulted names a founder. The site has been inhabited since prehistory, from the Bell Beaker culture to the Late Bronze Age (2400-1200 BC); two Roman roads crossed the territory and an Early Medieval cemetery (Burgundian or Merovingian depending on the source) was discovered here. In the Middle Ages Bavois became the seat of a lordship held by the lords of Joux from the 12th century until 1358; a small fortified town was founded there, mentioned in 1386 and 1403. The successive divisions of the lordship through inheritance are said to explain the existence of two castles, Château-Dessus and Château-Dessous (to be cross-checked). The municipality includes the village, Les Bordes (Bavois-Dessus) and the hamlet of Le Coudray. The inhabitants are nicknamed «lè z'Agasse» (the magpies).

History of Bavois

2400-1200 BC. Prehistoric settlement from the Bell Beaker culture to the Late Bronze Age.

Roman period. Two Roman roads cross the territory, one linking Entreroches to Yverdon, the other Pontarlier to Moudon (to be cross-checked).

Early Middle Ages. An Early Medieval cemetery, Burgundian or Merovingian depending on the source, is laid out; it will be discovered in the mid-20th century, and further graves will be uncovered in 2020 (to be cross-checked).

12th century. The lordship of Bavois belongs to the lords of Joux; the church of Saint-Léger is mentioned.

1263. The lords of Joux, lords of Bavois, are vassals of Peter II of Savoy.

1358. End of the lordship of the lords of Joux over Bavois.

1386. Mention of the small fortified town founded at Bavois.

1403. Last mention of the town, in decline from this date.

1416. Bavois has 85 hearths.

15th century. Enlargement of the church choir and construction of a chapel.

1525. Château-Dessous is known from this date (to be cross-checked).

1536. With the Bernese conquest, Bavois is attached to the bailiwick of Yverdon; with the Reformation the church becomes a dependency of Chavornay. The commune is run by a Council of Twelve and has a local court of justice.

1798. Bavois joins the district of Orbe.

1836. Construction of the village school (to be cross-checked).

1914-1918. During and after the First World War, the company Laminoirs et Câblerie de Cossonay extracts peat from the Marais des Puits using Decauville railways (to be cross-checked).

1924. Adoption of the coat of arms: Or, two castles Sable, recalling the two castles that dominated the village.

1972. Partial land consolidation.

1981. Start of drainage works in the Orbe plain, with protection of the peat bogs.

2008. With the new districts coming into force on 1 January, the municipality joins the district of Jura-Nord vaudois.

Population of Bavois

85 hearths (households)

1416

38 houses

1681

317

1764

492

1850

566

1900

407

1970

496

1990

1'055

2025

Historic sites in Bavois

Church of Saint-Léger. Romanesque and Gothic church mentioned from the 12th century and dedicated to Saint Leodegar (saint Léger); its origins are said to go back to the 11th century (to be cross-checked). Its 12th-century choir was enlarged in the 15th century, and a chapel was added in the 15th century, before the Reformation. It preserves wall paintings from the 14th and 16th centuries.

Château-Dessus. Medieval fortress overlooking the village, dated to the 14th-15th centuries; a first building probably goes back to the 13th century (to be cross-checked). It was restored in the 1960s.

Château-Dessous. Built beside the road to Chavornay, it looks like a manor house with an agricultural purpose; it is known since 1525 and has been entirely renovated (to be cross-checked).

Former school. School building of 1836, converted in 1992 into a childcare facility for schoolchildren and flats (to be cross-checked).

Remains in Bavois

Prehistoric, Roman and Early Medieval traces. The territory has yielded traces of settlement from the Bell Beaker culture to the Late Bronze Age, remains of two Roman roads and an Early Medieval cemetery, discovered during construction work in the mid-20th century; excavations by the cantonal archaeology service uncovered further graves in 2020 (to be cross-checked).

Sources

Other villages near Bavois

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