Altavilla
Origin of the name Altavilla
The village is recorded in 1340 as « Alta villa ». In the 16th century the name was Germanised as « Altenfüllen ». The old French form is « Hauteville ». No explanation of the name has been put forward.[1]
Founding of Altavilla
Altavilla is a small, loosely built farming settlement on the edge of the moraine hills east of Lake Murten and the Grosses Moos. Recorded as a dependency of the lordship of Murten (Morat) from the 14th century, the village always belonged to the parish of Murten. It is now part of the municipality of Murten (merger of 1991).[1]
History of Altavilla
1340. The village appears in the records, as « Alta villa ».[1]
14th century. Altavilla is recorded as a dependency of the lordship of Murten.[1]
16th century. The name is Germanised as « Altenfüllen ».[1]
After the Burgundian Wars. The village passes to Bern and Fribourg.[1]
1684. A German school is opened jointly with Burg and Lurtigen (or in 1694).[1][2]
1798. Altavilla belongs to Fribourg alone.[1]
1879-1969. The village has its own school.[1]
1991. Altavilla joins the municipality of Murten.[1]
Population of Altavilla
Sources and references: [1]
| 1850 | 180 |
| 1900 | 136 |
| 1970 | 89 |
| 1990 | 117 |
Remains in Altavilla
Burial mounds and Roman settlement. Hallstatt burial mounds and remains of Roman settlement have been found at Altavilla.[1]
Sandstone quarries. North of the village, sandstone quarries were worked until about 1820.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Altavilla » (Hermann Schöpfer, version du 05.06.2001)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Burg bei Murten » (Hermann Schöpfer, version du 17.03.2011)
Other villages near Altavilla
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