Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
Origin of the name Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
The name of the village is first attested in 885 in the form «Corceles». As with other similarly named localities in French-speaking Switzerland, this place name is said to derive from the Latin «curticella», a diminutive of «curtis» (rural estate, farmyard); this precise etymological interpretation is however not specifically confirmed for Corcelles-sur-Chavornay and remains to be cross-checked.
Founding of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
The site has been occupied since Roman times, as attested by remains discovered on the territory of the locality (information to be cross-checked). The first written mention of the place dates from 885. In 888, a vassal named Vodelgise gave lands situated at Corcelles to the bishop of Lausanne; he himself had received them three years earlier from Emperor Charles the Fat (information to be cross-checked). The village subsequently developed as a feudal dependency, attached to the lordship of Bavois, before becoming in the 16th century the seat of a separate, independent lordship.
History of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
885. First written mention of the village under the name «Corceles» (information to be cross-checked).
888. Vodelgise, a vassal of Count Rudolph, gives lands of Corcelles to the bishop of Lausanne; he had received them three years earlier from Emperor Charles the Fat (information to be cross-checked).
1228. First attestation of a parish at Corcelles, then an annex of the parish of Suchy (information to be cross-checked).
12th century. Corcelles is dependent on the lordship of Bavois, held by the lords of Joux (information to be cross-checked).
1263. The lords of Joux, lords of Bavois on whom Corcelles depends, pay homage to Peter II of Savoy (information to be cross-checked).
around 1520. By hereditary succession, Corcelles separates from the lordship of Bavois; Bernard de Gléresse becomes its first independent lord and establishes his seat in a château (information to be cross-checked).
1536. Under Bernese administration, Corcelles is attached to the bailiwick of Yverdon and the local church becomes a Protestant church following the Reformation.
1644. César Lentulus acquires the lordship of Corcelles, enlarges the château and brings together most of the land and seigneurial rights (information to be cross-checked).
mid-18th century to 1909. A tile works operates on the village's territory (information to be cross-checked).
1754. The present church is rebuilt to plans by the architect Gabriel Delagrange, with walls of molasse and foundations of Mormont limestone; the work is directed by the mason and stonecutter David Reymond, of Vaulion.
1798. The village has 232 inhabitants. The municipality is attached to the district of Orbe, which it will remain part of until 2006.
around 1870. A modest home-based watchmaking industry develops in the village (information to be cross-checked).
1884 to 1963. The former seigneurial château is used as a health establishment (information to be cross-checked).
around 1924. The Pré-Carré health institution is built in the village (information to be cross-checked).
1913, 1951, 1985. The church undergoes several restorations: the interior in 1913, a modernization led by the architect Oscar Magnin in 1951, then the exterior in 1985.
31 August 2006. The district of Orbe is abolished as part of the reorganization of Vaud districts; Corcelles-sur-Chavornay is attached to the new district of Jura-Nord vaudois.
September 2015. The inhabitants of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay, Chavornay and Essert-Pittet accept in a vote the project to merge their three municipalities.
1 January 2017. The merger takes effect: Corcelles-sur-Chavornay loses its status as an independent municipality and becomes a locality of the new municipality of Chavornay, alongside Chavornay (the capital) and Essert-Pittet.
Population of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
| 1414 | 14 hearths (households) |
| 1699 | 48 hearths, that is about 215 inhabitants |
| 1764 | 207 inhabitants |
| 1798 | 232 inhabitants |
| 1850 | 336 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 307 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 353 inhabitants |
| 1970 | 233 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 305 inhabitants |
| 2004 | 299 inhabitants |
| 2015 | 353 inhabitants |
Historic sites in Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
Corcelles-sur-Chavornay church. Rebuilt in 1754 to plans by the architect Gabriel Delagrange, this Protestant church has a light bell tower projecting above the entrance door dated 1754, as well as a clock face set in a semicircular recess on the upper floor. The walls are of molasse and the foundations of Mormont limestone; the work was directed by the mason and stonecutter David Reymond, of Vaulion. The building was restored inside in 1913, modernized in 1951 by the architect Oscar Magnin, then restored outside in 1985. A parish has been attested at Corcelles since 1228 (information to be cross-checked), the church then being an annex of the parish of Suchy before becoming a Protestant church with the Reformation of 1536.
Corcelles Castle. Former seat of the lordship of Corcelles, established around 1520 by Bernard de Gléresse when the village separated from the lordship of Bavois (information to be cross-checked). The château was enlarged in 1644 by César Lentulus, who brought together most of the land and seigneurial rights there (information to be cross-checked). Later converted, the building served as a health establishment from 1884 to 1963 (information to be cross-checked).
Le Pré-Carré. Health-oriented institution built around 1924 in the village, continuing the health function previously served by the château (information to be cross-checked).
Remains in Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
Remains from the Roman period. Archaeological remains dating from the Roman period have been uncovered on the territory of Corcelles-sur-Chavornay. The precise nature and exact location of these finds are not detailed in the sources consulted; this information remains to be cross-checked.
Sources
- Anne Rochat-Morel, « Corcelles-sur-Chavornay », Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS/HLS), en ligne
- Wikipédia (français), « Corcelles-sur-Chavornay »
- Wikipedia (English), "Corcelles-sur-Chavornay"
- Charles Roux, Noms et sobriquets des Vaudois, Yens-sur-Morges, Cabédita (ISBN 2-88295-339-9), p. 34
- Marcel Grandjean, Les Temples vaudois. L'architecture réformée dans le Pays de Vaud, Lausanne, Bibliothèque historique vaudoise n° 89, p. 280-286
- « Chavornay : enfin la fusion ! », L'Omnibus, journal de la région d'Orbe, 18 septembre 2015
Other villages near Corcelles-sur-Chavornay
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