Chapelle-sur-Moudon
Origin of the name Chapelle-sur-Moudon
The name of the village derives from the medieval Latin capella, a diminutive of capa, which originally designated the cloak of Saint Martin kept as a relic in the royal chapel of the Frankish kings; by extension, this term came to designate any place of worship not holding the status of a parish church. The place appears under the name Capellam as early as 1177, then under the forms Capella Vualdana and Capella Waldana from 1228. This qualifier «Waldana» is said, according to information to be cross-checked, to have designated a certain Waldo (a first name of Burgundian origin meaning «man of the woods»), to whom local tradition attributes the construction of a first chapel in the 10th century. Under Bernese rule, the place was called Chapelle-Vaudanne; the current name Chapelle-sur-Moudon, referring to its proximity to the town of Moudon, is said to have become official only in 1953 (information to be cross-checked).
Founding of Chapelle-sur-Moudon
The origin of the village goes back to a chapel built in the 10th century, remains of which have been found beneath the present church; local tradition attributes this construction to a certain Waldo (information to be cross-checked). The first inhabitant known by name is Philippus de Capella, mentioned in 1161 (information to be cross-checked). From the 12th century, the place is associated with a family of local lords and knights known as «de Chapelle». According to information to be cross-checked, the village is said to have first depended on the canons of the Grand-Saint-Bernard, before coming, from the 14th century, under the influence of the dukes of Savoy.
History of Chapelle-sur-Moudon
10th century. Construction of a first chapel, whose remains are preserved beneath the present church; local tradition attributes this foundation to a certain Waldo (information to be cross-checked).
1161. Mention of Philippus de Capella, first inhabitant known by name (information to be cross-checked).
1177. First documented mention of the place, under the name Capellam.
after 1202. The place is mentioned in the form apud Capellam Vualdanam (information to be cross-checked).
1224. Mention in the form de Chapala (information to be cross-checked).
1228. Mention in the forms Capella Valdana and Cappella Vualdana; the local church is documented from this date.
12th to 14th century. The village depends on a family of local lords and knights known as «de Chapelle», before coming under the influence of the dukes of Savoy from the 14th century.
1453. Mention in the form Capella Voudana (information to be cross-checked).
1536. Bernese conquest; the village is attached to the bailiwick of Moudon (information to be cross-checked).
16th to 18th century. The seigneury belongs for about three centuries to the de Praroman family.
1750. Construction of the present château for the de Praroman family (information to be cross-checked).
end of the 18th century. The seigneury passes by inheritance to the Réal family (information to be cross-checked).
1777. Construction of the building known as «Le Casino», used as a meeting and games hall upstairs and housing a communal oven on the ground floor.
1795. Construction of a communal bread oven, rue du Château, still visible today (information to be cross-checked).
1798 to 1803. The village is part of the Canton of Léman during the Helvetic period, before its entry into the canton of Vaud in 1803 (information to be cross-checked).
1839. Construction of the former school building, since converted into housing (information to be cross-checked).
1888. A major fire destroys several houses in the village (information to be cross-checked).
around 1930. The upper floor of the Casino ceases to be used as a games hall (information to be cross-checked).
1953. The official name of the municipality becomes Chapelle-sur-Moudon (information to be cross-checked).
1956. The communal oven of the Casino ceases to be used (information to be cross-checked).
1958. Oil drilling is undertaken on the municipal territory, without result (information to be cross-checked).
after 1984. The château undergoes a major restoration (information to be cross-checked).
2008 to 2012. The municipality belongs to the district of Gros-de-Vaud, after having been part of the district of Moudon from 1798 to 2007 (information to be cross-checked).
2009. The church is listed as a cultural property of regional importance (information to be cross-checked).
1 January 2013. Chapelle-sur-Moudon merges with Chanéaz, Correvon, Denezy, Martherenges, Neyruz-sur-Moudon, Peyres-Possens, Saint-Cierges and Thierrens to form the new municipality of Montanaire. This date, corroborated by the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland and by Wikipedia for the other villages of the former municipality, was preferred over 1 July 2013 mentioned in isolation by the municipality's official website (point to be cross-checked).
Population of Chapelle-sur-Moudon
| 1850 | 368 |
| 1900 | 323 |
| 1970 | 224 |
| 1980 | 240 |
| 2010 | 386 |
| 2012 | 405 |
| 2018 | 504 |
Historic sites in Chapelle-sur-Moudon
Saints-Martin-et-Blaise church. Parish church until the Reformation, later an annex of the parish of Saint-Cierges. Its flamboyant Gothic choir, dating from around 1500, is said to have been designed by the Genevan master mason François de Curtine (information to be cross-checked). It preserves a stained-glass window from the late 15th century, one of the few in the canton to have escaped destruction during the Reformation. The building is listed as a cultural property of regional importance.
The Château. Built in 1750 for the de Praroman family (information to be cross-checked), the château housed a girls' boarding school in the early 20th century. Thoroughly restored after 1984 (information to be cross-checked), it is today a private property.
Le Casino (1777). This building originally served as a meeting and games hall upstairs, used until around 1930, while the ground floor housed a communal oven used until 1956. It also offered hospitality to travellers passing through, who were served soup there.
The bread oven (1795). Located on the rue du Château, this former communal bread oven has recently been renovated (information to be cross-checked).
The former school (1839). This school building has since been converted into housing (information to be cross-checked).
Remains in Chapelle-sur-Moudon
Remains of the primitive chapel (10th century). Remains of a 10th-century chapel, at the origin of the village's name and founding, have been brought to light beneath the present parish church.
Legends of Chapelle-sur-Moudon
The «Rôtisseurs de brebis» (sheep-roasters). A local legend, comparable to one reported for another Vaud village (information to be cross-checked), tells that a young shepherd is said to have dried out a rain-soaked ewe in an oven. This episode is said to be at the origin of the nickname given to the village's inhabitants, «Rôtisseurs-de-Brebis» (lè Routa-Fâïe in Vaud patois).
Sources
- Wikipédia (français), « Chapelle-sur-Moudon »
- Wikipedia (allemand), « Chapelle-sur-Moudon »
- Commune de Montanaire, « Les 9 villages qui forment Montanaire »
- Florence Cattin et al., Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses, 2003
- Olivier Dessemontet et Louis F. Nicollier, Armorial des communes vaudoises, 1988
- Marcel Grandjean, L'architecture religieuse en Suisse romande (étude sur les chœurs gothiques), 2007
- Charles Roux, Noms et sobriquets des Vaudois, 1998
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS)
Other villages near Chapelle-sur-Moudon
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