Avenches
Origin of the name Avenches
The name comes from ancient "Aventicum", taken from the name of the goddess Aventia, a spring deity worshipped here. The Roman town bore the official title "Colonia Pia Flavia Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata", in which "Flavia" recalls Emperor Vespasian (of the Flavian dynasty). The old German name of the town is "Wiflisburg"; the French form "Avenche" is attested in 1518.
Founding of Avenches
Aventicum was the capital of the Helvetii in Roman times. Around AD 70 Emperor Vespasian granted it the status of a Latin colony; the town then received walls more than 5.2 km long, 7 metres high and flanked by seventy-three towers, and in the 2nd century acquired a theatre, the Cigognier sanctuary and an amphitheatre; its population is thought to have exceeded 20'000 (estimate). After the Alamannic raids of 259-260 the town declined; it was still a bishop's seat in the 6th century. In 1074 the bishop of Lausanne, Burchard of Oltingen, moved the town to its present site on the hill and surrounded it with a wall: he is the founder of the medieval town. The burghers' liberties probably date back to the second half of the 11th century; the oldest surviving charter dates from 1259. At the end of the 13th century the bishop had a tower built, the core of the castle.
History of Avenches
around 70. Emperor Vespasian makes Aventicum a Latin colony, the "Colonia Pia Flavia Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata".
late 1st century. Construction of walls more than 5.2 km long and 7 metres high, with seventy-three towers and monumental gates.
from 98. Construction of the theatre and the Cigognier sanctuary.
early 2nd century. Construction of the amphitheatre and monumental rebuilding of the Grange-des-Dîmes temple.
259-260. Alamannic raids; their effect on the town is now considered less devastating than long claimed.
6th century. Avenches is a bishop's seat; Marius of Avenches is bishop and chronicler at the end of the century.
7th century. The town loses its role as capital and becomes a frontier settlement between Burgundians and Alamanni.
1074. The bishop of Lausanne, Burchard of Oltingen, moves the town onto the hill and surrounds it with a wall.
1239. First known alliance treaty of the burghers, concluded with Fribourg.
1259. Oldest surviving charter of liberties.
late 13th century. The bishop has a tower built, the core of the castle.
1336. The town has 120 burghers.
15th-16th century. The castle is heavily remodelled and given a Renaissance façade, keeping its keep.
1536. Bernese conquest of Vaud.
1850. The commune has 1'637 inhabitants.
1899. Founding of the federal stud farm.
1900. The commune has 1'952 inhabitants.
1999. Opening of the National Equestrian Institute in Avenches.
2006. Merger with Donatyre.
2011. Merger with Oleyres.
2017. Avenches joins the association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Switzerland.
Population of Avenches
| 1336 | 120 burghers |
| 1416 | 70 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 825 |
| 1798 | 1'002 |
| 1850 | 1'637 |
| 1900 | 1'952 |
| 1941 | 1'565 |
| 1950 | 1'717 |
| 2000 | 2'544 |
| 2025 | 4'953 |
Historic sites in Avenches
Roman amphitheatre. Built in the early 2nd century and later enlarged, it is still used for cultural events.
Cigognier sanctuary and theatre. Large religious complex and Gallo-Roman theatre built from 98, in the heart of the ancient town.
Tornallaz tower. One of the seventy-three towers of the Roman walls, more than 5 km long.
Roman Museum. It displays finds from Aventicum, including a gold bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Castle and medieval town. Castle that grew from a tower built by the bishop of Lausanne in the late 13th century, heavily remodelled two centuries later with a Renaissance façade; the old town, founded in 1074, keeps towers, arcades and cobbled lanes.
Remains in Avenches
Roman walls. More than 5.2 km long, 7 metres high and 2.4 metres wide, they had seventy-three towers; several sections and the Tornallaz tower survive.
Water organ. Remains of a water organ were found on the site of a wealthy Roman house.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Avenches (commune) »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Aventicum »
- Wikipédia FR, « Avenches »
- Commune d'Avenches, « Patrimoine »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Avenches
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