Begnins
Origin of the name Begnins
Origin of the name: the name first appears in a deed of 1145 confirming the donation of tithes by the knight Guigues de Begnins to the convent of Bonmont. None of the sources consulted explains its etymology. The inhabitants are called Begninois.
Founding of Begnins
None of the sources consulted describes the founding of the village. The site was occupied long before the Middle Ages: La Tène period burials have been found near the Château de Martheray, and a fragment of a Roman milestone dated 252 was found in 1811. In the 12th century the noble family of Begnins appears; the territory was later divided among several lordships, those of Martheray, Cottens, Menthon and Rochefort, and the Serraux, whose castles still line the village.
History of Begnins
La Tène period. Burials discovered near the Château de Martheray.
252. Date of a fragment of a Roman milestone discovered at Begnins in 1811.
1145. First mention: a deed confirms the donation of tithes by the knight Guigues de Begnins to the convent of Bonmont.
12th century. The Château de Martheray is attested.
13th century. The church of Notre-Dame is built in stages.
1293. The Begnins family comes under Savoyard authority (to be cross-checked).
around 1500. The church tower is raised.
1530. Destruction of a fortified house, origin of the present Château de Menthon et de Rochefort, rebuilt in the second half of the 16th century (to be cross-checked).
1536. Bernese conquest: Begnins is attached to the bailiwick of Nyon.
early 17th century. Destruction of the Château de Moinsel; the surrounding hamlet is said to have been wiped out by the last great plague in the Pays de Vaud.
1616. The ruined commune of Les Serraux disappears and is merged with Begnins.
1631. Remodelling of the manor, a group of 13th and 14th century buildings.
1714. The church's side chapels are rebuilt.
1727. The Château de Cottens is rebuilt.
1756. A new parsonage is built.
1791-1910. Begnins hosts large fairs.
1802. During the Bourla-Papey uprising, archives are burned at the castles of Cottens and Martheray.
1906-1954. A tramway links Begnins with Gland.
1907-1917. Phylloxera, downy mildew and powdery mildew devastate the vineyards.
1967. On 21 July Jean-Luc Godard and Anne Wiazemsky marry in Begnins.
1969-1970. Construction of the Catholic chapel of Saint-Michel.
Population of Begnins
| 1764 | 454 |
| 1803 | 567 |
| 1850 | 734 |
| 1900 | 782 |
| 1920 | 669 |
| 1950 | 753 |
| 1980 | 1'056 |
| 2000 | 1'335 |
| 2011 | 1'664 |
| 2025 | 2'047 |
Historic sites in Begnins
Church of Notre-Dame. Reformed church dating back to the 13th century, built in stages; rectangular tower raised around 1500, side chapels rebuilt in 1714.
Château de Martheray. Attested in the 12th century; the square main block, with a high hipped roof, dates from the mid-16th century, with a tower of 1672 and a central pediment of 1856.
Château de Cottens. Turret from the late 15th century; the castle was rebuilt in 1727.
Château de Menthon et de Rochefort. Building whose origins go back to the second half of the 16th century, remodelled in the 18th century.
Manor. Group of 13th and 14th century buildings, remodelled in 1631 and again around 1780-1790.
Chapel of Saint-Michel. Catholic chapel built in 1969-1970.
Site of national importance. Begnins is listed as a village in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS), with top ratings for its setting and its spatial and historical-architectural qualities.
Vineyards. The vineyards of Begnins, on La Côte, cover about 100 hectares; the commune dates them back to the 10th century (to be cross-checked).
Remains in Begnins
Roman milestone. Fragment of a stone indicating road distances, dated 252, discovered in 1811.
Ancient burials. La Tène period burials and early medieval skeletons have been uncovered near the Château de Martheray.
Château de Bioley. Fortified castle of which nothing remains today.
Château de Moinsel. Destroyed in the early 17th century, together with the surrounding hamlet.
Legends of Begnins
The treasure of Bioley. Of the vanished fortified castle of Bioley only a legend remains: that of a treasure buried beneath its ruins.
Sources
- Inventaire fédéral des sites construits d'importance nationale (ISOS), « Begnins » (2012)
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, Alphabet des communes, « Begnins »
- Wikipédia, « Begnins »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Begnins
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