Chêne-Bougeries
Origin of the name Chêne-Bougeries
The leper house of « Quercus » is mentioned from 1270. The form « Chêne-les-Bougeries » appears in 1801. The etymology of the name has not yet been explained.[1]
Founding of Chêne-Bougeries
Nobody knows who founded the locality, but remains of a Roman aqueduct have been found on its territory. In the Middle Ages the leper house of « Quercus », at Grange-Falquet, owned land in the region, which the Bernese seized and granted as fiefs. The hamlet of Chêne then stayed on Genevan soil. The municipality itself was born of a border: under the Treaty of Turin, the left bank of the Seymaz went to Savoy, the right bank remained Genevan and Protestant, and Chêne was divided between Chêne-Bougeries and Chêne-Bourg. Genevan families (Naville, Des Arts, Candolle) settled on large estates later made agriculture flourish there.[1]
History of Chêne-Bougeries
1270. First mention of the leper house of « Quercus », located at Grange-Falquet, which owns land in the region.[1]
1536. The Bernese seize, together with the Chablais and the Faucigny, the lands of the leper house and grant them as fiefs.[1]
1543. The hamlet of Chêne has 4 hearths.[1]
1564. The hamlet of Chêne remains on Genevan soil with part of the surrounding territory.[1]
1754. Under the Treaty of Turin the left bank of the Seymaz goes to Savoy, the right bank stays Genevan and Protestant. Chêne is divided between Chêne-Bougeries and Chêne-Bourg.[1][3]
1755. Jean-Louis Calandrini presents to the Council the plans and estimate for a new temple with an oval plan.[2]
1758. Inauguration of the oval temple on 7 May, built because the temple of Chêne now lay in Savoy.[1][2][3]
1798. When Genève is annexed by France, the municipality is united with Thônex.[1]
1801. Chêne-Bougeries becomes an independent municipality. The name is recorded that year in the form « Chêne-les-Bougeries ».[1]
1816. The municipality remains independent.[1]
1821. Jean-Charles Léonard Sismondi inherits the villa that now bears his name and later makes it his main residence.[3]
1918. The Petite Plaine des Bougeries is renamed place du Colonel-Audéoud.[3]
1940s. From the middle of the decade, farming has almost disappeared.[1]
1960. Start of strong growth: pastures give way to villas and large housing estates such as La Gradelle and La Montagne.[1]
Population of Chêne-Bougeries
Sources and references: [1][4]
| 1543 | 4 hearths (households), hamlet of Chêne |
| 1815 | 728 |
| 1850 | 1'041 |
| 1900 | 2'131 |
| 1950 | 4'339 |
| 2000 | 9'759 |
| 2010 | 10'007 |
| 2020 | 11'973 |
| 2025 | 14'906 |
Historic sites in Chêne-Bougeries
Temple of Chêne-Bougeries. Temple with an oval plan, built to plans by Jean-Louis Calandrini from March 1756 to early 1758 and inaugurated on 7 May 1758, after the Treaty of Turin of 1754 had left the old temple of Chêne in Savoy.[1][2][3]
Grange-Falquet. Site of the leper house of « Quercus », mentioned from 1270.[1]
Villa Sismondi. Villa inherited in 1821 by Jean-Charles Léonard Sismondi (1773-1842), who later made it his main residence.[3]
Place du Colonel-Audéoud. Formerly the Petite Plaine des Bougeries, renamed in 1918 in memory of Colonel Alfred Audéoud, who died in service in 1917.[3]
Districts of the municipality. Grange-Canal, Malagnou, Le Vallon, La Pommière and Conches, joined by the large housing estates of La Gradelle and La Montagne.[1]
Remains in Chêne-Bougeries
Roman aqueduct. Remains of a Roman aqueduct.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Chêne-Bougeries » (Christiane Genequand)
- Commune de Chêne-Bougeries, « Le temple : l'histoire du Temple de Chêne-Bougeries, de ses bancs, de son orgue et de sa cloche »
- Commune de Chêne-Bougeries, dépliant « Chêne-Bougeries, ça marche ! » (parcours patrimoine)
- Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT), Mémento statistique du canton de Genève 2026, tableau Population résidante par commune, en 2025
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Chêne-Bougeries
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