La Rippe
Origin of the name La Rippe
Name origin: the attested old form is «Rippis» (1384). The name comes from the Franco-Provençal «rippe», meaning a slope, brushwood or a wood, perhaps from Late Latin «rispa» or «rippa» or from Germanic «hrispa» (to be cross-checked).
Founding of La Rippe
The original core of La Rippe is thought to have been the vanished locality of Pellens, mentioned before 1025, which depended on the abbey of Saint-Maurice in the 11th century and then on Bonmont (1123). Before 1159 the inhabitants are thought to have settled on the present site of La Rippe. The place name «Pelens» still appears on the national map, near the hamlet of Tranchepied. The village grew up under the authority of the abbeys of Saint-Claude and later Bonmont.
History of La Rippe
Roman period. Roman settlement; a Roman road, the Vy d'Etraz, probably crossed the territory.
before 1025. Mention of the locality of Pellens, the village's original core, then dependent on the abbey of Saint-Maurice.
1123. Pellens comes under the abbey of Bonmont.
before 1159. The inhabitants are thought to have settled on the site of La Rippe; Pellens disappears.
1309. The abbey of Saint-Claude cedes La Rippe to the abbey of Bonmont.
1319. These lands come under the protection of the House of Savoy.
1384. First written mention of La Rippe, in the form «Rippis».
1536. Bernese conquest: the inhabitants' extensive rights of use in forests and pastures are now strictly limited.
1536-1564. La Rippe briefly belongs to the bailiwick of Gex (to be cross-checked).
1711. La Rippe belongs to the bailiwick of Bonmont, which becomes independent that year (to be cross-checked).
1826. The hamlet of Tranchepied, detached from Chéserex, is attached to La Rippe.
1862-1864. La Rippe has to cede land in the Dappes valley to France.
1970. Construction of a sewage treatment plant shared with Crassier (to be cross-checked).
2005. Agriculture, livestock farming and dairying still provide 41% of jobs; a sawmill is in operation.
Population of La Rippe
| 1764 | 332 |
| 1850 | 356 |
| 1900 | 316 |
| 1950 | 344 |
| 2000 | 1'010 |
| 2025 | 1'218 |
Historic sites in La Rippe
Hamlet of Tranchepied. Hamlet detached from Chéserex and attached to La Rippe in 1826; the vanished village of Pellens lay nearby.
La Dôle. Jura summit (1'677 m), the highest point of the municipality, at whose foot the village lies.
Remains in La Rippe
Roman settlement and Vy d'Etraz. Remains of a Roman settlement have been found in La Rippe; the Vy d'Etraz, probably a Roman road, crossed the area.
Site of Pellens. Vanished village, mentioned before 1025 and regarded as the original core of La Rippe; its name survives in the place name «Pelens» on the national map.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Rippe, La »
- Wikipédia, « La Rippe »
- Wikipédia, « Abbaye de Bonmont »
- Office fédéral de topographie swisstopo, map.geo.admin.ch (noms géographiques)
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near La Rippe
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