Denezy
Origin of the name Denezy
The name of the village first appears in texts in 929 in the Latinized form 'villare Donaciaco' (to be cross-checked: a variant 'in villa Donaciaco' is also reported), in connection with a chapel. A second old form, 'Danisei', is attested in 1142 (to be cross-checked). These forms resemble place names of Gallo-Roman origin ending in '-acum'. No source consulted establishes with certainty the exact meaning or precise etymology of the original name; this point remains documentarily uncertain.
Founding of Denezy
There is no attested founding account for Denezy by an identified person or authority. The oldest traces of human occupation on the territory are graves from the early Middle Ages, attesting to a presence from the 5th or 6th century; according to one source, they were uncovered in 1898 in the forest of the Baumettaz and are said to be of Burgundian origin (to be cross-checked). The village then gradually formed around a chapel mentioned as early as 929, depending on the Chapter of Lausanne, which became the parish church in 1228.
History of Denezy
5th-6th century (to be cross-checked). Oldest attested traces of occupation on the territory: graves from the early Middle Ages, sometimes described as Burgundian burials, are said to have been discovered in 1898 in the forest of the Baumettaz.
929. First written mention of the place, in the Latinized form 'villare Donaciaco' (or 'in villa Donaciaco'), in connection with a chapel depending on the Chapter of Lausanne.
1142 (to be cross-checked). The place is mentioned in the old form 'Danisei'.
1228. The chapel of Denezy becomes the village's parish church.
1316. The seigneury of Denezy is granted in fief by Count Louis of Savoy to Hugues Mallet.
1409 to 1798. The seigneury of Denezy belongs to the de Cerjat family, originally from Moudon.
14th century. Construction of a fortified house, the ruins of which survive today at the place called Creux du Château.
1536 to 1798 (to be cross-checked). Under Bernese rule, Denezy forms a métralie (bailiff's district) with its own court of justice, administered by the body of communiers and a governor.
1727 (to be cross-checked). A mill and a sawmill are attested in the village.
1798. The fall of the Ancien Régime ends the seigneurial possession of the de Cerjat family; Denezy becomes a Vaud municipality.
1828. Founding of a village dairy society.
1900. Construction of the village school building, which remains in operation for 114 years before its closure.
10 February 1925. Adoption of the current municipal coat of arms: azure a bend argent, charged with a stag rampant gules overall. An earlier coat of arms bearing a bird of prey appears on a youth society flag from 1901 (to be cross-checked).
29 January 2012. The population of Denezy approves by vote the merger project with Chanéaz, Chapelle-sur-Moudon, Correvon, Martherenges, Neyruz-sur-Moudon, Peyres-Possens, Saint-Cierges and Thierrens, with 68.1% of the vote (62 votes in favour, 29 against).
1 January 2013. Denezy loses its status as an independent municipality and becomes one of the nine villages of the new municipality of Montanaire.
Population of Denezy
| 1432 | 8 households (to be cross-checked) |
| 1850 | 253 |
| 1920 | 198 |
| 1970 | 129 |
| 2000 | 122 |
| 2010 | 146 |
| 2021 | 197 |
Historic sites in Denezy
Creux du Château. Place name where the ruins of a 14th-century fortified house survive, a witness to the village's former seigneurial organization.
Site of the former chapel and parish church. Location of the chapel mentioned as early as 929, which became the parish church in 1228 and originally depended on the Chapter of Lausanne.
Forest of the Baumettaz. Wooded area where graves from the early Middle Ages are said to have been uncovered in 1898, providing evidence of the oldest known occupation of the territory (to be cross-checked).
Remains in Denezy
Ruins of the fortified house of Creux du Château. Remains of a fortified residence built in the 14th century, linked to the seigneury of Denezy, held successively by Hugues Mallet from 1316 and then by the de Cerjat family from 1409 to 1798.
Graves from the early Middle Ages. Slab graves attesting to occupation of the site as early as the 5th or 6th century; one source describes them as Burgundian burials discovered in 1898 in the forest of the Baumettaz (to be cross-checked).
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS/HLS), article "Denezy" par Valérie Favez
- Wikipédia (français), article "Denezy"
- Site officiel de la commune de Montanaire, page "Les 9 villages qui forment Montanaire"
- Charles Roux, Noms et sobriquets des Vaudois, Yens-sur-Morges, Cabédita, ISBN 2-88295-339-9 (cité par Wikipédia)
- "Denezy : une commune vaudoise au travers de ses archives" (ouvrage local, cité par Wikipédia)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), données démographiques communales
Other villages near Denezy
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