Brenles
Origin of the name Brenles
The first attested mention of the village dates from 1247, in the form « Brenles », within the territory belonging to the bishop of Lausanne. None of the sources consulted (Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, Wikipedia) proposes an etymology for this place name; the precise origin of the name therefore remains undocumented and has not been determined with certainty, rather than being assumed.
Founding of Brenles
No source consulted mentions a founding act or an identified founder for Brenles. The territory initially belonged to the bishop of Lausanne, before being shared, from the 14th century to the Revolution, among several seigneurial families: according to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, the de Glâne (ministerial) family, de Prez, de Rue, Frossard, Sordet, Clavel and de Vuippens families succeeded one another in the seigneurial rights; the website of the municipality of Lucens mentions only three of them (Frossard, Loys and Clavel), a discrepancy to be cross-checked. The village also belonged to the castle of Lucens. It is probably a rural settlement formed gradually within the episcopal domain, rather than a foundation planned at a precise date.
History of Brenles
1247. First attested mention of the village in the form « Brenles », then part of the territory of the bishop of Lausanne.
1413. Brenles belongs to the administrative district of Moudon.
14th century to the Revolution. The seigneurial rights over the village pass successively between several families: de Glâne, de Prez, de Rue, Frossard, Sordet, Clavel and de Vuippens; the village also belongs to the castle of Lucens, owned by the bishopric of Lausanne.
1722. Major channelling works undertaken by Nicolas Bergier, intended to power a mill and a sawmill.
1740. Construction of the village chapel.
1798 to 2006. Under Bernese rule and then in the canton of Vaud, the village is part of the bailiwick and later the district of Moudon.
1840. The chapel is given a bell tower.
1914. Renovation of the village school building (to be cross-checked, isolated piece of information).
1921. Adoption of the municipal coat of arms, taken from and slightly modified from the coat of arms of the Clavel family.
1991. Establishment in Brenles of the Suisse Romande school for guide dogs for the blind, according to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (the website of the municipality of Lucens instead gives 1994; date to be cross-checked).
2006. Dissolution of the district of Moudon; Brenles joins the new district of Broye-Vully.
30 November 2014. The municipalities of Brenles, Chesalles-sur-Moudon, Cremin, Forel-sur-Lucens, Lucens and Sarzens decide to merge.
1 January 2017. The merger takes effect: Brenles ceases to exist as an independent municipality and becomes part of the new municipality of Lucens, together with Chesalles-sur-Moudon, Cremin, Forel-sur-Lucens and Sarzens (Lucens had already merged with Oulens-sur-Lucens in 2011).
Population of Brenles
| 1432 | 11 hearths |
| 1550 | 9 hearths |
| 1764 | 96 |
| 1850 | 232 |
| 1900 | 234 |
| 1950 | 174 |
| 1980 (to be cross-checked, isolated source) | 123 |
| 2000 | 163 |
| 2015 (to be cross-checked, isolated source) | 144 |
| 2022 (locality, post-merger) | 137 |
Historic sites in Brenles
The Brenles chapel. Built in 1740, the village chapel was given a bell tower in 1840. It remains the village's most notable heritage building.
Suisse Romande school for guide dogs for the blind. Since the early 1990s (1991 according to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, 1994 according to the website of the municipality of Lucens, to be cross-checked), Brenles has hosted this Suisse Romande institution, which has become a defining element of the village's recent identity.
A village between the Broye and the Glâne. Located away from the major road axes, on the border with the canton of Fribourg (municipalities of Billens-Hennens, Siviriez and Ursy), Brenles has remained an agricultural village oriented towards farming, fruit growing and livestock rearing.
Remains in Brenles
Remains of a Roman villa. Remains of a Roman villa are attested near the village by the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, without further details (precise dating, context of discovery) being given in the sources consulted; to be cross-checked if more detailed archaeological publications are identified.
1722 hydraulic works. Major channelling works were undertaken in 1722 by Nicolas Bergier to power a mill and a sawmill; these installations attest to the village's old craft and agricultural activity, without their current state of conservation being specified in the sources consulted.
Sources
- Valérie Favez, « Brenles », Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse en ligne
- Wikipédia, « Brenles » (version française)
- Wikipedia, « Brenles » (version anglaise)
- Commune de Lucens, page historique de Brenles
- Office fédéral de la statistique, données démographiques communales (citées via Wikipédia)
Other villages near Brenles
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