Chanivaz

Origin of the name Chanivaz

Name origin: the locality appears in 1228 in the form « Chanliva », the name under which it was known throughout the feudal period. The name is said to come from the Franco-Provençal « châno », the oak, and to denote an oak wood (to be cross-checked).

Founding of Chanivaz

Chanivaz is not a municipality: it is an estate of the municipality of Buchillon, in the district of Morges, located in the Aubonne delta on the shore of Lake Geneva. None of the sources consulted names a founder or a date of foundation. In Roman times the site was occupied by a large villa with a peristyle and an inner courtyard, served by the main Roman road from Geneva to Lausanne, which branched off near Allaman towards the villa of Chanivaz before continuing to Buchillon and Bussy. In the Middle Ages Chanivaz was the largest locality in the area: the seat of a parish, it was held by the co-lords of Aubonne and had a toll on the river. The abolition of this crossing in the 15th century led to its gradual decline.

History of Chanivaz

Roman period. A large villa with a peristyle and an inner courtyard stands at Chanivaz; the Roman road from Geneva to Lausanne branches off near Allaman towards the villa, then continues to Buchillon and Bussy.

2nd-4th century. Utensils and coins ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine, found between the villa and the lake, bear witness to the occupation of the site.

1228. First mention of the parish, in the form « Chanliva », in the cartulary of Lausanne.

1285. Last date of the period during which Chanivaz is recorded as a parish (1228-1285).

Middle Ages. Chanivaz is the largest locality in the area; it belongs to the co-lords of Aubonne and has a toll on the Aubonne.

15th century. The abolition of the river crossing causes the gradual decline of Chanivaz.

19th century. Discovery of an extensive archaeological site from the Roman period (to be cross-checked).

1970s. A large-scale housing project threatens the Chanivaz estate, described as the last untouched shore in Vaud (to be cross-checked).

1980. The Federal Council imposes a building ban on the area (to be cross-checked).

1996. « Chanivaz - Delta de l'Aubonne » is entered in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments (object no. 1210) (to be cross-checked).

2003. The canton of Vaud designates part of the delta as the cantonal nature reserve of the Embouchure de l'Aubonne (to be cross-checked).

Historic sites in Chanivaz

Chanivaz estate. Former medieval parish centre that became a farming estate, located in the Aubonne delta; it now lies in a nature protection zone.

Aubonne delta. Landscape of national importance made of stepped terraces, laid down when the Aubonne flowed into an ice-marginal lake as the Rhône glacier retreated. The area is home to rare birds such as the bluethroat and the kingfisher, and to one of the last large reed beds on Lake Geneva.

Remains in Chanivaz

Roman villa of Chanivaz. Large villa with a peristyle and an inner courtyard, linked to the Roman road from Geneva to Lausanne. The richest area for finds lies between the villa and the lake, to the south, on a mound: utensils and coins ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine were discovered there.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Buchillon »
• Commune de Buchillon, « Histoire et présentation de Buchillon »
• Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, Alphabet des communes vaudoises, « Buchillon »
• Wikipedia (DE), « Chanivaz - Delta de l'Aubonne »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Other villages near Chanivaz

• Allaman (VD)
• Buchillon (VD)
• Perroy (VD)
• Etoy (VD)
• Féchy (VD)