Cully
Origin of the name Cully
The name Cully is first attested in 967 in the Latin form «Cusliacum». The following forms then appear in ancient documents: «Cusliaco» (12th century), «Custiacum» (1154), «Cullie» (1226), «Cully» (1275) and «Culyer» (1383). The exact etymology remains uncertain; it could derive from a personal name of Gallo-Roman origin, the gentilic «Coclius», to which a suffix of Gaulish or Latin origin marking ownership (of the -acum type) would have been added. This hypothesis is plausible but not established with certainty, only one etymological lead having been found in the sources consulted.
Founding of Cully
Cully has no single, dated foundation: the site has been occupied since the Neolithic, then crossed in Roman times by the road linking Lausanne to the Grand-Saint-Bernard. The village as we know it develops in the early Middle Ages within the vast parish of Villette, which stretched from Lake Léman to the Jorat with no single dominant centre, organized into «quarts» (corporate divisions acting as local communities). The first written mention of the place, in 967, indicates that it was given by the king of Burgundy to the cathedral church of Besançon, which remained its lord until 1246, the year the place passed to the bishop of Lausanne following territorial conflicts. The development of the village owes much to the vine: from the 11th century, the bishops of Lausanne and monastic communities (notably Cistercian) received donations of land in the Lavaux and drove the clearing and cultivation of the vine on the hillsides, work that the presence of the monks made particularly active. The present-day terraces («charmus») began to be built in the 14th century and multiplied especially between 1750 and 1830.
History of Cully
Neolithic. First traces of human occupation attested at the site of Cully.
Roman period. The road linking Lausanne to the Grand-Saint-Bernard crosses the region; remains (walls, coins) attest to a Roman presence.
997. First mention of vines in the Lavaux region, at Lutry, marking the documented beginnings of local viticulture.
967. First written mention of Cully («Cusliacum»): the place is given by the king of Burgundy to the cathedral church of Besançon.
1079. Lausanne appropriates Lutry, Chexbres and Corsier, laying the territorial foundations of ecclesiastical Lavaux.
11th century. The bishops of Lausanne and monastic communities receive donations of land in the Lavaux and encourage the clearing and planting of vines.
1154. The place is mentioned under the form «Custiacum» in documents of the time.
1226. Mention of the place under the form «Cullie».
1246. Cully passes from the lordship of the bishop of Besançon to that of the bishop of Lausanne.
1275. Mention of the place under the form «Cully».
1359. The inhabitants obtain a right to a weekly market and a right of fortification. They enjoy the same franchises as those of Villette; the town is administered by an assembly of burgesses.
14th-15th century. In the 14th century the town takes on a circular plan, with the houses clustered around the church, then in the 15th century it extends towards the lake and takes a rectangular shape.
14th century. Beginning of the construction of the vine terraces («charmus») in the Lavaux.
1365. A chapel dedicated to Saint Stephen has existed in Cully since this date.
1383. Mention of the place under the form «Culyer».
1521-1524. The mason Pierre Soppaz builds a bell tower entirely clad in tufa, pierced by a large pointed arch on each face.
1536. Bernese conquest of the Pays de Vaud: Cully comes under Bernese administration and falls under the bailiwick of Lausanne.
1574. Construction of the building that would become the Hôtel du Raisin, remodelled in 1630.
1598. Cully becomes the seat of the châtellenie of Villette.
1641. Construction of the Maison Jaune, which would serve as the communal house.
1643. Construction of the Fountain of Justice.
1706. Berne creates the «Chambre des vins» (Wine Chamber), giving the wines of the Lavaux, including those of Cully, reference status for export to Italy, Holland and Germany.
1750-1830. Intensification of the construction of vine terraces in the most prestigious sectors of the Lavaux.
1766. Cully is raised to a parish.
1798. Fall of the Bernese Ancien Régime; under the Helvetic Republic, Cully becomes the chief town of the district of Lavaux owing to its central position.
1824-1826. The Vaud Grand Council decrees the dissolution of the former general parish of Villette into separate municipalities, including Cully-Chenaux, which becomes an independent municipality; the official partition takes effect on 11 August 1826, with the communal authorities sworn in between 5 and 14 December 1826.
1841. Erection of the monument to Major Jean Daniel Abraham Davel, a Vaud officer executed in 1723 for advocating the independence of the canton of Vaud.
1861. Construction of the Simplon railway line, which serves Cully.
1865-1866. Rebuilding of the church, on the site of the former Saint-Étienne chapel, in neo-Gothic style, by the architect David Braillard.
1942. Construction of the Lavaux infirmary-hospital in Cully.
1964. Construction of the Catholic chapel Notre-Dame-des-Vignes-de-Lavaux.
2005. A first merger project of the Lavaux municipalities is rejected in a popular vote, on 25 February 2005.
2007. The Lavaux terraced vineyard, including the territory of Cully, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
2008. Restoration of the Fountain of Justice.
2009. A new merger project is accepted in a popular vote on 17 May 2009 (according to some sources on 7 May 2009; this date would deserve to be cross-checked with an official FAOVD document).
2011. On 1 July 2011, Cully merges with Épesses, Grandvaux, Riex and Villette to form the new municipality of Bourg-en-Lavaux, of which Cully becomes the chief town and administrative centre.
Population of Cully
| 1568 | 62 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 483 inhabitants |
| 1798 | 615 inhabitants |
| 1850 | 880 inhabitants |
| 1900 | 1'101 inhabitants |
| 1950 | 1'296 inhabitants |
| 2000 | 1'798 inhabitants (according to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse; another source gives about 1'752 inhabitants for 2009, with a slight decline over the previous decade; this figure would deserve to be cross-checked with official data from the canton of Vaud) |
Historic sites in Cully
The temple (former Saint-Étienne church). A chapel dedicated to Saint Stephen has existed on this site since 1365. The present building, in neo-Gothic style, was rebuilt in 1865-1866 by the architect David Braillard, while retaining certain medieval elements. The bell tower, entirely clad in tufa and pierced with large pointed arches, was built between 1521 and 1524 by the mason Pierre Soppaz.
La Maison Jaune. Built in 1641, this house served as the communal house (town hall) of the former municipality of Cully. It today houses an art gallery.
The Town Hall and the Hôtel du Raisin. The Hôtel du Raisin was built in 1574 then remodelled in 1630; it is among the oldest hospitality buildings in the village, still in operation today as an inn.
The Fountain of Justice. Built in 1643 and restored in 2008, this fountain stands on the village's central square.
The monument to Major Davel. Erected in 1841, this monument pays tribute to Major Jean Daniel Abraham Davel (1670-1723), a Vaud officer executed for attempting to rouse the Pays de Vaud against Bernese rule. It gives its name to the main square and to an inn in the village.
The former castellans' house (known as the Muriset house). This building recalls Cully's role as the seat of the châtellenie of Villette from 1598, under the Bernese Ancien Régime.
The Port of Cully. A natural harbour on the shore of Lake Léman, it long served the transport of wine and goods and today remains a port of call for the boats of the Compagnie Générale de Navigation (CGN).
The Notre-Dame-des-Vignes-de-Lavaux chapel. Catholic chapel built in 1964, evidence of the more recent Catholic presence in this village that has been mostly Reformed since the Bernese Reformation.
The Lavaux terraced vineyard (UNESCO). The vine-covered hillsides overlooking Cully are part of the «Lavaux, terraced vineyard» site, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2007. The present-day terraces essentially date back to the 11th century and the work of monastic communities, with an intensification of their construction between 1750 and 1830.
Remains in Cully
Prehistoric remains. According to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, remains attest to human occupation of the site as early as the Neolithic. The details of these finds (exact nature, precise location, excavation date) could not be cross-checked with other sources and would deserve more precise documentation.
Roman remains. Roman remains (walls, coins) have been unearthed at Cully, the region being crossed by the ancient road linking Lausanne to the Grand-Saint-Bernard. As with the prehistoric remains, these finds are only summarily documented in the sources consulted and would deserve to be cross-checked with detailed archaeological reports.
Early medieval cemeteries. The Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse mentions the existence of cemeteries dating from the early Middle Ages on the territory of Cully, with no further details available in the sources consulted; this information would also deserve to be cross-checked.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS), article « Cully »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS), article « Bourg-en-Lavaux »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS), article « Lavaux »
- Wikipédia (anglais), « Cully, Switzerland »
- Wikipédia (français), « Cully (Vaud) »
- Wikipédia (anglais), « Lavaux District »
- Site officiel de la commune de Bourg-en-Lavaux, « Un peu d'histoire »
- Lavaux, vignoble en terrasses, site UNESCO officiel du site, page « De l'an 1000 à 1798 »
- UNESCO, Liste du patrimoine mondial, « Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces »
Other villages near Cully
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