Villarzel

Origin of the name Villarzel

The name appears in 1228 as «Vilarsel», then «Villarse levesque» in 1346-1347 and «Villarsel Levesque» in 1453, hence the nickname Villarzel-l'Évêque, recalling that the place belonged to the Bishop of Lausanne. The name is said to derive from Romance «villāre» (estate, hamlet) followed by the diminutive suffix «-ĭcellu», meaning «the small estate, the small hamlet» (to be cross-checked). In Vaud patois the village is called «Velazî».

Founding of Villarzel

Villarzel owes its existence as a town to the temporal power of the Bishops of Lausanne. Bishop Berthold of Neuchâtel (1212-1220) had a castle (castrum) built here, which Bishop Saint Boniface (1231-1239) provided with fortifications. Around the castle a small castle town grew up, «la ville», centre of an episcopal castellany comprising Sédeilles, Cerniaz, Villars-Bramard, Rossens, Marnand and Granges. Together with the neighbouring castellany of Lucens, it formed a single block of episcopal territory surrounded by Savoyard possessions. The castle thus served to hold and defend these lands of the bishop. The commune itself existed before its first written mentions in the 15th century.

History of Villarzel

1212-1220. The Bishop of Lausanne, Berthold of Neuchâtel, has a castle (castrum) built at Villarzel.

1228. First written mention of the name, as «Vilarsel».

1231-1239. Bishop Saint Boniface has fortifications built.

1248. An episcopal castellan is mentioned for the first time; the office is sometimes held by the Villarzel family.

1295. Conflict between Bishop Guillaume de Champvent and the lords of Villarzel, who refuse his overlordship; the castle is taken and burnt at the end of the 13th century or around 1300 (to be cross-checked).

1316. Peace between the Bishop of Lausanne and Louis II of Savoy-Vaud, who had ravaged the episcopal lands, is signed at Villarzel.

1397. The castellany accounts for 7.2% of the population of the bishop's possessions and 5.5% of the revenues of the episcopal mensa.

1416. Villarzel is a filial of the parish of Granges; a late medieval chapel serves the place.

1444. The bishop grants the inhabitants common pasture rights for their pigs in the neighbouring forests, a source of later disputes.

1536. Bernese conquest: until 1798 Villarzel remains the centre of a castellany within the bailiwick of Moudon.

16th century. An inn is mentioned from at least the middle of the century; the castle tower is restored at the end of the century.

1622. Villarzel becomes a parish, including Rossens and Sédeilles.

17th century. The castle town («la ville») loses its population to the village.

1668. The male line of the lords of Villarzel dies out (to be cross-checked).

1798. Villarzel joins the Vaud emancipation through its delegates Jonas Rossier and Frédéric Bersier (to be cross-checked). The commune is attached to the district of Payerne, which belongs to Fribourg from 1798 to 1803.

1910. The parish of Villarzel is the first in the canton where women may vote in the appointment of a pastor (to be cross-checked).

1954. Rodolphe Rubattel, a citizen of Villarzel, is President of the Confederation.

2000. The parish of Villarzel is reunited with that of Granges.

2006. On 1 July, merger with Rossens and Sédeilles into the municipality of Villarzel.

2008. With the new Vaud districts, Villarzel moves from the district of Payerne to that of Broye-Vully.

Population of Villarzel

Population of Villarzel

1677	36 hearths (households)
1741	18 hearths (households)
1764	167 inhabitants
1850	358 inhabitants
1900	296 inhabitants
1950	226 inhabitants
1990	158 inhabitants
2000	190 inhabitants
2025	522 inhabitants (municipality merged with Rossens and Sédeilles)

Historic sites in Villarzel

Castle tower. The only remnant of the episcopal castle built under Berthold of Neuchâtel (1212-1220) and fortified under Saint Boniface (1231-1239). It stood against the 13th-century curtain wall and was restored at the end of the 16th century. Under Bernese rule it served as a prison (to be cross-checked). It appears on the municipal coat of arms.

Church. Late medieval chapel, formerly dedicated to Saint George (to be cross-checked), which became the parish church in 1622 when Villarzel was made a parish with Rossens and Sédeilles. According to the municipality, it escaped the castle fire around 1300 together with the tower (to be cross-checked).

The town and the village. The former castle town, called «la ville», lost its population to the village in the 17th century. The village of Villarzel is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS) (to be cross-checked).

Rossens and Sédeilles. Former communes of the castellany of Villarzel, merged into the municipality in 2006. They have their own separate entries.

Remains in Villarzel

Tower and 13th-century curtain wall. Of the episcopal castle, often fought over and partly burnt, only the tower that stood against the curtain wall survives. Restored at the end of the 16th century, it recalls the time when Villarzel was the seat of a castellany of the Bishop of Lausanne.

Former châtelards. Two «châtelards» (former earthwork fortifications) lay north of the town.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Villarzel »
• Commune de Villarzel, « Histoire de Villarzel »
• Wikipédia, « Villarzel »
• Wikipedia (EN), « Villarzel »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
• Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »

Localities of the municipality with a page

• Rossens
• Sédeilles

Other villages near Villarzel

• Marnand (VD)
• Rossens (VD)
• Sédeilles (VD)
• Trey (VD)
• Henniez (VD)