Essert-Pittet

Canton of Vaud · District: Jura-Nord vaudois · 164 inhabitants in 2015, last census before the 2017 merger

Part of the municipality of Chavornay

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

Origin of the name Essert-Pittet

The village's name comes from the term «essert», derived from the late Latin «exsarire», meaning to clear land or make it cultivable. The place is mentioned in 1100 in the form «Exertus», then in 1453 in the form «Essers». The form «Essert-Pittet» appears before 1764. The exact origin of the second element «Pittet», which distinguishes this village from other places called «Essert» in the region, is not documented by the sources consulted.

Founding of Essert-Pittet

The locality is first mentioned in 1100 in a donation in favour of the Romainmôtier priory. From the 13th century, it belongs to the seigneury of Belmont. It is constituted as a commune before 1448, then raised to a seigneury in its own right from the 15th century. Under Bernese rule, after the conquest of the Pays de Vaud in 1536, the seigneury passes to the de Hennezel family, who retain it until the end of the Ancien Régime at the end of the 18th century.

History of Essert-Pittet

Roman period. A road crosses the territory of the locality; Roman tiles and coins have been found there, attesting to ancient occupation. Remains from the Middle Ages have also been reported there, still to be cross-checked.

1100. First mention of the locality, under the name «Exertus», in a donation in favour of the Romainmôtier priory.

13th century. The village becomes part of the seigneury of Belmont.

before 1448. Essert-Pittet is constituted as a commune.

1453. The place is mentioned under the name «Essers».

15th century. Essert-Pittet is raised to a seigneury in its own right, distinct from Belmont.

after 1536. After the Bernese conquest of the Pays de Vaud, the seigneury passes to the de Hennezel family, who will keep it until the end of the Ancien Régime.

1609. Louis de Hennezel has a château built on his lands.

before 1764. The village takes the name «Essert-Pittet».

1705-1708 and 1746. The village church, which had replaced an old chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, is rebuilt.

early 19th century. The de Hennezel family château is destroyed by fire.

1798-2006. Essert-Pittet is administered within the district of Yverdon.

7 May 1855. Opening of the Yverdon-Bussigny-près-Lausanne railway line, with a station at Essert-Pittet.

1981-1990. The construction of the A1 (1981) and A9 (1990) motorways helps stop the village's demographic decline, easing the settlement of new residents while maintaining local farming and market gardening activity.

from 2008. The commune is attached to the district of Jura-Nord vaudois, still to be cross-checked.

September 2015. The merger of Essert-Pittet with the communes of Chavornay and Corcelles-sur-Chavornay is approved by vote.

1 January 2017. The merger takes effect. Essert-Pittet loses its status as an independent commune and becomes a village of the new commune of Chavornay, which becomes its chief town.

Population of Essert-Pittet

1764

124

1850

123

1900

143

1950

117

1970

1980

125

2000

164

2015

Historic sites in Essert-Pittet

The Essert-Pittet church. Religious building rebuilt in 1705-1708, then again in 1746, on the site of an old chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.

Essert-Pittet railway station. Opened on 7 May 1855 when the Yverdon-Bussigny-près-Lausanne railway line entered service, it testifies to the village's early integration into the railway network at the foot of the Jura.

Old farmhouses. The village retains, according to some sources still to be cross-checked, several farmhouses typical of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Remains in Essert-Pittet

Remains of the Hennezel château. The château built in 1609 by Louis de Hennezel was destroyed by fire in the early 19th century. Its exact location and the current state of the remains are still to be cross-checked.

Roman remains. Roman tiles and coins have been unearthed within the commune's territory, attesting to the passage of a Roman road and occupation of the site since Antiquity.

Medieval remains. Remains dating from the Middle Ages have also been reported within the commune's territory, without their precise nature being detailed by the sources consulted; information still to be cross-checked.

Legends of Essert-Pittet

The «Fouette-Grenouilles» nickname. The inhabitants of Essert-Pittet are said to have borne the nickname «Fouette-Grenouilles» (frog-whippers), evoking the practice of beating the water of ponds to stop the noise of frogs at night. This nickname is said to have also been shared by the inhabitants of the villages of Chevilly and Denens. Information still to be cross-checked, as only one source has mentioned it.

Sources

Other villages near Essert-Pittet

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