Cheseaux-Noréaz
Origin of the name Cheseaux-Noréaz
The two places are mentioned in 1174 in the form «Chesaut» (Cheseaux) and in 1177 in the form «Nobraia» (Noréaz). The municipal coat of arms, a so-called canting one, links «cheseau» to the site of a house and «Noréaz» to a walnut grove (to be cross-checked). The double name recalls the 1798 merger.
Founding of Cheseaux-Noréaz
No source consulted names a founder. In the Middle Ages Cheseaux and Noréaz were granges (farming estates) dependent on the priory of Val-de-Travers and the lordship of Belmont; in 1235 they were given to the Cistercian abbey of Montheron, which had collected tithes there since 1186. With the Reformation the abbey's rights passed to the city of Lausanne, which ceded those over Cheseaux to Bern in the 17th century but kept those over Noréaz until 1798. Under Bernese rule both hamlets belonged to the bailiwick and castellany of Yverdon. In 1764 Cheseaux had only three estates left and Noréaz refused to form a municipality; the present municipality was created in 1798 by their merger. Cheseaux lies along the lakeshore, Noréaz on the slope of the Montélaz hill, about a hundred metres higher. Both villages have always belonged to the parish of Yverdon. The inhabitants are nicknamed the «Mange-Fruits».
History of Cheseaux-Noréaz
1174. First mention of Cheseaux, «Chesaut».
1177. First mention of Noréaz, «Nobraia».
1186. The abbey of Montheron holds tithe rights in Cheseaux and Noréaz.
1235. The granges of Cheseaux and Noréaz, until then linked to the priory of Val-de-Travers and the lordship of Belmont, are given to the abbey of Montheron.
1536. With the Reformation the rights of the abbey of Montheron pass to the city of Lausanne; under Bernese rule both hamlets come under the bailiwick and castellany of Yverdon.
17th century. Lausanne cedes its rights over Cheseaux to Bern but keeps those over Noréaz until 1798.
1764. Cheseaux comprises only three estates; Noréaz refuses to form a municipality.
1789-1791. François-Louis-Frédéric Haldimand has the Château de Champ-Pittet built.
1789-1799. The municipality of Cheseaux is placed under administration.
1798. Merger of Cheseaux and Noréaz into a single municipality, part of the district of Yverdon until 2007.
from 1960. Villa districts develop; the municipality becomes a residential district of Yverdon-les-Bains (zoning plans of 1961, 1966, 1973 and 1984).
1975. Opening of the CESSNOV (Centre d'enseignement secondaire supérieur du Nord vaudois), today an upper secondary school with more than a thousand students.
1984. Renovation of the Château de Champ-Pittet.
1991. The Château de Champ-Pittet becomes the French-speaking Swiss headquarters of Pro Natura.
2008. Cheseaux-Noréaz becomes part of the district of Jura-Nord vaudois.
Population of Cheseaux-Noréaz
| 1764 | 79 (26 in Cheseaux, 53 in Noréaz) |
| 1798 | 108 |
| 1850 | 156 |
| 1870 | 126 |
| 1900 | 132 |
| 1950 | 104 |
| 1960 | 98 |
| 1980 | 339 |
| 2000 | 528 |
| 2025 | 745 |
Historic sites in Cheseaux-Noréaz
Château de Champ-Pittet. Residence built between 1789 and 1791 for François-Louis-Frédéric Haldimand. Renovated in 1984, it has housed since 1991 the French-speaking Swiss headquarters of Pro Natura, at the centre of a 40-hectare protected area of marshes and reed beds. The Campagne de Champ-Pittet is a cultural property of national significance.
Marshes and reed beds of the south-east lakeshore. Protected area of 40 hectares which is part of the Grande Cariçaie, the largest lakeshore marsh in Switzerland.
Noréaz. Hamlet on the slope of the Montélaz hill, about a hundred metres above Cheseaux, whose rights remained with the city of Lausanne until 1798.
Gymnase d'Yverdon (former CESSNOV). Upper secondary school opened in 1975 on municipal land, attended by more than a thousand students from northern Vaud.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Cheseaux-Noréaz »
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Cheseaux-Noréaz »
- Wikipédia, « Cheseaux-Noréaz »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Cheseaux-Noréaz
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