Chavannes-sur-Moudon
Origin of the name Chavannes-sur-Moudon
First mentioned in 1453 in the form «Chavanes». The sources consulted do not give its etymology.
Founding of Chavannes-sur-Moudon
No founder or founding charter is known. A Hallstatt-period burial mound bears witness to very early occupation of the area. In the Middle Ages the lordship was shared among several noble families, and the village, with its chapel of Notre-Dame, belonged to the parish of Morlens (Fribourg), before being attached to Moudon after the Bernese conquest.
History of Chavannes-sur-Moudon
Iron Age. A Hallstatt-period burial mound is raised in the area.
13th century. The chapel of Notre-Dame is served by the priest of the church of Morlens (FR).
1310. The lordship belongs to Jean de Prez (to be cross-checked).
14th-16th century. The lordship is shared among several families: the vidames of Moudon, the nobles of Villardens, and the d'Illens, de Prez and de Glâne families.
1406/1436. The village has 23 hearths (households).
1453. First mention, in the form «Chavanes».
1484. Chavannes is part of the castellany of Rue.
1536. Bernese conquest: the village is attached to the bailiwick and castellany of Moudon until 1798; the commune is run by the assembly of burghers. At the Reformation the chapel is attached to the parish of Moudon.
1663. Bern, which was also a lord at Chavannes, sells all its rights to the de Loys family.
1764. A fire destroys a large part of the village (to be cross-checked).
1797. Construction of the municipal building.
1942. Last of the successive alterations to the chapel of Notre-Dame.
1980. The general council votes to build the public water network.
2008. On 1 January, the commune moves from the district of Moudon to the new Broye-Vully district (law on territorial division in force since 1 September 2006).
Population of Chavannes-sur-Moudon
| 1406/1436 | 23 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 169 |
| 1850 | 342 |
| 1900 | 335 |
| 1910 | 369 |
| 1950 | 268 |
| 1980 | 180 |
| 2000 | 197 |
| 2025 | 232 |
Historic sites in Chavannes-sur-Moudon
The chapel of Notre-Dame. Served in the 13th century by the priest of Morlens (FR) and attached to the parish of Moudon at the Reformation, it has undergone several alterations, the last in 1942. Its choir is said to date from the second half of the 15th century (to be cross-checked).
The municipal building. Built in 1797, it also served as a school (to be cross-checked).
The village, an ISOS site. The whole village is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS) (to be cross-checked).
Remains in Chavannes-sur-Moudon
Hallstatt burial mound. A burial mound (tumulus) from the Early Iron Age, the Hallstatt period, lies in the municipal area; it is the oldest known evidence of human presence at Chavannes.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Chavannes-sur-Moudon »
- Wikipédia, « Chavannes-sur-Moudon »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
Other villages near Chavannes-sur-Moudon
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